January 4, 2011

 

Australian state yet to assess total livestock losses after heavy floods

 

 

Australia's Queensland graziers are warning it will be weeks before they know how many cattle are killed by the floods amid damaged roads and fuel shortages hampering efforts to assess the damage.

 

But central Queensland beef producer Ian McCamley says there's no doubt the losses are extensive. "It's all guess work at the moment. Certainly people are saying that they had big numbers in paddocks and they can only account for smaller numbers. It's been pretty tough to get around and get a decent count on them, but they are certainly quite significant," said McCamley.

 

When it comes to the cost of the floods in Queensland, the Federal Government is in 'wait-and-see' mode.

 

While there are already some forms of financial assistance for farmers, the government says further concessions like exceptional circumstances funding is a long way off.

 

Federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig is touring sodden crops at Dalby in southern Queensland.

 

He says until primary producers get back to their properties it's very difficult to assess the extent of the damage, but that it will run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

 

More rain from thunderstorms is slowing clean-up efforts and prolonging flooding in the central and southern districts of the state.

 

Overnight Biloela received 30 millimetres and Mt Bridget 26mm of rain, both within the Fitzroy catchment in central Queensland.

 

Further south 44 millimetres fell at the Yuleba forestry above the town of Surat, 18 millimetres was recorded at Felton and 61 millimetres has been recorded at Amiens Knob.

 

So far the rain falls haven't considerably added to river heights but more rain is predicted over the next couple of days.

 

Forecaster Gordon Banks says more heavy falls are expected for some of Queensland's flood zones.

 

"We will see heavy rainfall, we think now, developing through Wednesday (Jan 5) to our west, and that will affect some of the flooded areas, especially those south of Roma. That will be generating a lot of thunderstorms out through the Darling Downs and Granite belt, which we expect will spread into areas of rain," Banks said.

 

Dennis Allpass from Mantuan Downs station between Springsure and Tambo is trying to clean out his house after floodwaters swept through it on December 27. Mr Allpass lost most of his family's possessions, as well as property equipment, and they're now living with the neighbours.

 

"The main homestead went under; the quarters went under; the cook's accomodation went under; the kitchen went under. The mens' quarters the flood waters just got to the floor level - but from trucks, graders down to power tools, every electrical, mechanical tool we have got all went underwater," said Allpass.