Australian Floods Devastate Queensland; heading towards NSW and VIC

[Soldier of Macedon]

http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/

http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/queensland_floods.html

http://www.ausgamers.com/news/read/3003544

Originally posted by Julie:

Powderfinger
Hi guys, hope all you fellow Queenslanders are doing ok. Please everyone take a moment to donate to the Flood Relief Appeal: http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html Ms Fanclub xox

Donate to the flood relief appeal : Queensland Government

https://www.qld.gov.au

Donate online, by phone, in person, internet banking or mail.


Tim Mason
Just donated some money for a good cause, I also urge anyone else to do the same. Also your donation can be claimed on your next tax return if you keep the receipt

Donate to the flood relief appeal
telethon.smartservice.qld.gov.au
The Queensland Government has launched an appeal to help fellow Queenslanders affected by the recent floods. Many communities have been devastated. Some families have lost everything. You can help make a difference by donating to the Premier's Flood Re



Donate online

Make a donation to the Premier’s Disaster relief appeal using a secure payment form.

Donate by phone

0600 – 2300 7 days on 1800 219 028

Donate by internet banking

The account details for donations are:

Account Name: Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal
BSB: 064 013
Account number: 1000 6800

SWIFT code for international donations: CTBAAU2S

Once your transaction is complete, you should record the receipt number for your transaction. If you do not receive a receipt number, contact your financial institution.

If you would like a receipt for tax purposes, please forward a request, with proof of donation to:

Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal
C/O Department of the Premier and Cabinet
PO Box 15185
City East QLD 4002

International donations

The account details international for donations are:

Account Name: Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal
BSB: 064 013
Account number: 1000 6800
SWIFT code: CTBAAU2S

Donate by mail

You can post a cheque donation – please do not send cash.

Cheques should be made payable to:

The Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal
ABN: 69 689 161 916

Cheques should be posted to:

Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal
C/O Department of the Premier and Cabinet
PO Box 15185
City East QLD 4002

Donate in person

Donations can be made at:

Commonwealth Bank
NAB
Westpac
ANZ
BOQ
Suncorp
St.George Bank

[Soldier of Macedon]

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/66317/record-floods-hit-victoria-as-queensland-mops-up

A record flood peak has hit the town of Rochester in northern Victoria, as other regions around the Australian state prepare for widespread flooding.

The Campaspe River near Rochester has reached an historic peak of 9.12m - exceeding 1956 levels - and has split the town in two.

The river is expected to peak late on Saturday or early on Sunday morning, and could flood up to 80% of Rochester.

All 3,000 residents have been urged to evacuate, the ABC reports.

Four rivers in northwest Victoria - the Avoca, Loddon, Wimmera and Richardson - have now broken their banks and hundreds of properties are now affected by flooding.

Some communities in the region are trying to hold back flood waters for the third time in five months.

About 2,000 people have been moved out of their homes, including all 800 residents of Carisbrook near Maryborough.

Residents of towns along the Wimmera, Loddon, Avoca and Campaspe River systems spent a sleepless night on Friday waiting for river levels to reach their peak.

Charlton is also facing a flood peak on Saturday, and the town is completely cut off by flood waters.

Evacuation warnings were issued for Bridgewater, Carisbrook, Newbridge, Dadswell Bridge, Malmsbury and Durham Ox.

The SES says hundreds of homes have been flooded and flood waters are still rising in some areas.

Horsham in the west of the state was expected to flood on Saturday, while residents along the Maribyrnong River, in Melbourne's north-west, are being warned to prepare for rising flood waters also.

Search for bodies moves to Brisbane River
The water police in Queensland have been asked to search Brisbane River for people still missing after this week's devastating flash floods in Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley.

Both Brisbane and nearby Toowoomba are counting the cost of last week's massive floods, and more than 85 communities in the southeast of the state have been affected.

Homes are being flooded for a second time in the town of Condamine, on Queensland's Western Downs.

The Condamine River is running at 4.6m, on its way to a predicted peak of 4.8m over the coming days.

The death toll from the past week's flooding stands at 16, but it is expected to nearly double.

Nearly 30 people still missing
Fewer people are missing than had been feared in the aftermath of the latest floods in south-east Queensland.

The figure was revised to 28, down from 53, after residents and the Red Cross spent hours door-knocking and cross-checking the names of people initially reported missing against those who have since been reported safe.

At one stage the figure dropped to 20, but Queensland Police deputy commissioner Ian Stewart said on Saturday it had been increased again to 28.

Those still to be accounted for are all from Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley area, where a wall of water destroyed homes and buildings on Monday.

Grave concerns remain for 12 people, including 11 from two families at Murphys Creek.

Police have warned the bodies of some victims may never be found.

Queensland Police Minister Neil Roberts said one of the people who had died was found 80km from where they were reported missing.

"This just really highlights the complexity, the difficulties and the time it's going to take to complete this search and rescue operation."

'Army' of volunteers
Thousands of volunteers have offered to help clean up flood-ravaged Brisbane.



Fresh produce in Brisbane warehouses has been ruined by floodwaters.

PHOTO: AFP

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brisbane City Council is to co-ordinate the efforts of the more than 10,000 people who have so far volunteered to help, the ABC reports.

Meanwhile, extra police officers have been deployed to patrol suburbs in Brisbane and Ipswich to stop looting.

Highway reopening allows food transport
Critical food supplies are expected to be able to get to flood-hit Queensland towns now that one of the state's major highways has reopened.

Police are allowing trucks to use the Bruce Highway again between Brisbane and Cairns.

Australian Trucking Association chairman David Simon told the ABC that only essential goods such as food and recovery equipment was being sent in by road.

Thousands without electricity
At least 30,000 properties in south-east Queensland have been swamped and more than 43,000 homes and businesses still had no electricity on Friday, and the local power company said some properties may not be reconnected for days, or even weeks.

Meanwhile, one of the main thoroughfares in the Brisbane, Coronation Drive, has been partially reopened but authorities say the flooding there may have caused serious structural damage.

Engineers are concerned the lanes close to the Brisbane River may collapse.

Insurance 'shortcomings'
Thousands of people face the prospect of rebuilding without payouts, the ABC reports.

Many Brisbane residents who thought they had the right type of flood insurance are now being told they do not, while others, including businesses, were not eligible in the first place.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says the scale of the state's flood devastation has highlighted major shortcomings in the disaster insurance system.

Insurance experts expect claims to top $1 billion, the ABC says.

Deluge in Tasmania
The SES says it dealt with more than 100 calls for help after a deluge across northern Tasmania. It says the worst appears to be over but people should remain vigilant.

There has been flooding in the Meander Valley, Northern Midlands and north-west.

[Soldier of Macedon]

http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2011/01/14/282065_latest-news.html

FLOOD levees protecting Goondiwindi are being tested this morning as the Macintyre River peaks at record levels.

The weather bureau has warned a record flood is likely at Goondiwindi this morning.

Evacuations started in the town of 6000 residents last night, and over the border in the smaller NSW settlements of Boggabilla and Toomelah, which have a combined population of less than 1000.

In Brisbane flood waters are receding with the ABC reporting overnight that the level of the Brisbane River has dropped to just above three metres.

In other developments four men have been charged with trespassing and a young woman and two men have been charged with stealing from flood-damaged businesses in southeast Queensland.

The death toll from the Queensland floods stands at 15, with officials warning they expect it to rise.

There are still 61 people missing.



Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said water trucks will make around-the-clock deliveries to the flood-ravaged Lockyer Valley, as a shortage of drinkable water looms and officials urge residents to conserve water.

Meanwhile, the ANZ bank said it hoped to re-open eight branches in flood-affected areas of Queensland today and Westpac has established a temporary mobile bank at Brisbane's main evacuation centre as the big four banks join recovery efforts.

Public transport services will also increase in Brisbane and Ipswich today as floodwaters recede and roads reopen while rail services will continue to operate hourly in and out of Brisbane's CBD.

And Queensland's vital supply line, the Bruce Highway, will reopen this afternoon after two weeks of closure following the worst floods in Queensland's history.

Elsewhere the cleanup will begin in Rockhampton today, as floodwaters finally recede.

[DirtyCodingHabitz]

This is another reason why I'm leaving Australia forever. The weather can't make up its mind in Australia. One minute it's cold and the next minute it pisses down hot rain.

Don't get me started on the fires.

[Soldier of Macedon]

The diversity of the landscape is great because of how large the country is, but irrespective of what is happening at the moment, Australia is still one of the best countries to live in.

[fyrOM]

This is another reason why I'm leaving Australia forever. The weather can't make up its mind in Australia. One minute it's cold and the next minute it pisses down hot rain.

Don't get me started on the fires.

hahaha me nasmej...Id rather be pissed on one minute and dried by the sun the next only to be pissed on again in the third minute than slip on ice and shovel metre high snow every morning and the fun of going to work in the morning in minus degrees…but each to their own.

[Rogi]

These are the effects of a major La Nina episode, which we see every 5-6 years or so (albeit, sometimes it is a minor episode).

The La Nina episode has finished, or is at it's end and we'll see weather patterns return to their historical norms.

[DirtyCodingHabitz]

hahaha me nasmejthan slip on ice and shovel metre high snow every morning and the fun of going to work in the morning in minus degrees…but each to their own.

I love snow. I haven't touched it since 2004 . I think I'm better off living in a stable weather instead of a hot, cold, raining, stormy etc.

Australia is still one of the best countries to live in.

You mean Macedonia is? perfect weather, has your cultural people living next to you, you see people and kids outside day and night. Now compare this to Australia where you can hardly see people on the streets or kids on the playgrounds.

[Soldier of Macedon]

DCH, I am not comparing Australia to Macedonia, but suggesting that Australia is anything less than a great country to live in when compared with most others in this world is merely a lie, resulting from either ignorance or bitterness.

[Makedonetz]

Australia looks like a nice place to live, id give up the snow here as were having a blizzard at the moment for some hot weather.

[Risto the Great]

Australia has a great climate. It has a declining health system that is becoming more and more disturbing. It is getting dumber and fatter as the years progress in a similar fashion to the USA. It is getting its resources raped. It will be a very different country in 50 years.

It presently is one of the best places to live in the world.

[fyrOM]

It will be a very different country in 50 years.

It presently is one of the best places to live in the world.

Its hugely in decline in many sectors and has been so for the last 20 years. It is becoming more polarised and hence a fundamental shift in the Australian psychic but then again with the massive influx of foreign people the Australia of old and new is no longer a case of comparing apples with apples.

[George S.]

You know this flood reminds me of the victorian bushfires where for years the govt sat back & did nothing.I found that in northern nsw they used levies & weirs & other measures & avoided a lot of damage & waste of lives.The question is what has the qld govt done over the years to help alleviate the problem since there was a similar flood back in 1974.The answer comes back very little has been done.Also you know the australian public is great when it comes to donating to worthy causes.On radio 2gb on the alan jones show i found out the money raised in the newcastle earthquake is still sitting in bank accounts upto $13 million of it & rising.I also heard that there's victorians stlll living in caravan parks after the vic busshires waiting for their homes to be built.

[fyrOM]

You know this flood reminds me of the victorian bushfires where for years the govt sat back & did nothing.I found that in northern nsw they used levies & weirs & other measures & avoided a lot of damage & waste of lives.The question is what has the qld govt done over the years to help alleviate the problem since there was a similar flood back in 1974.The answer comes back very little has been done.Also you know the australian public is great when it comes to donating to worthy causes.On radio 2gb on the alan jones show i found out the money raised in the newcastle earthquake is still sitting in bank accounts upto $13 million of it & rising.I also heard that there's victorians stlll living in caravan parks after the vic busshires waiting for their homes to be built.

The Australians are learning well from us Wogs not only in culinary skills but farming practices and other things.

In the early days when we would drive from one part of Australia to another one thing that stood out were the huge number of sheep and cattle roaming in paddocks with only one fence facing the road and nothing else…not even a house nor barn for as far as the eye could see. In the heat you could see the animal huddling in groups under the shade of some trees at best. Kaj padnalo tamu ostanalo. Very primitive practices indeed. Now they have shelters and troughs with satellite controlled taps to let the farmer give the animals water by remote control. But with all this positive learning they also learned how cheat lie and make schemes to swindle almost as good as any European and sometimes even better. Taka si naucivme zatoa taka ni praat.

[George S.]

Ozimak you wait for the vegetables to start rising someone laughed & said the consumer had better start growing their own vegies & soon.1 kilo of bananas more than $10,Bavcata ke bidi mnogu vazna.