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tvnz.co.nz follows developments as Queensland faces its worst
floods in a century. Updates are in New Zealand time.
Find out how to donate to the Queensland flood
victims here
.
11.05pm: Queensland’s mindset is well and truly
on the clean up now, with Anna Bligh saying her priorities over the
next 48 hours are clean water, restoring electricity and opening
more major roads. The body of a woman found in Grantham today has
taken the death toll to 16 and 53 people are still missing.
10.52pm: Floodwaters in Condamine, now another
Queensland ghost town, are expected to peak on Sunday and Monday.
The forecast high-water mark of 14.8m could be revised up yet
again.
10.40pm: Country music fans in Tamworth have
paused for a minute’s silence in memory of Queenslanders who have
lost their lives or are missing in the devastating floods.
10.23pm: Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Campbell Newman
says opening the city’s main arterial routes remains their “number
one priority”. He predicts Milton Road and Coronation Drive will
open overnight. Only two lanes inbound and one lane outbound will
be open on Coronation Drive due to fears part of the road could
slip into the river.
10.10pm: No more bodies have been found so far
this evening, leaving the death toll at 16. To see a snapshot of
the dead and missing
9.57pm: The premier has said there will be a
“comprehensive review” of the flood disaster at a later date, but
did not go so far as to back Lord Mayor Campbell Newman’s call for
a judicial review.
9.44pm: Police have vowed to step up patrols in
southeast Queensland after nabbing 10 people for allegedly
pilfering items such as helmets and small dinghies borne off by
floodwaters.
9.31pm: The Insurance Council has been
inundated, with 7000 claims made so far totalling $365 million.
These numbers do not include Toowoomba, Brisbane or surrounding
areas which are yet to be assessed.
9.23pm: The Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal
has reached $54,733,396.
9.10pm: Australian NBA star Andrew Bogut will
auction off “The Bogut Experience” in a special bid to raise funds
for Queensland’s flood relief. Bogut has put together a package
including two return flights to Los Angeles, two tickets to see
Bogut’s Milwaukee Bucks play defending champions the LA Lakers and
dinner with the 2.13m star himself.
8.55pm: Many evacuated flood victims in
Brisbane and Ipswich still cannot return home says the
ABC. About 4,000 people are staying in emergency centres in
the two cities in south-east Queensland. The ABC also reports that
there is a stream of trucks pulling up at the main evacuation
centre at Brisbane’s RNA showgrounds with everything from clothes,
fresh fruit, and nappies being unloaded.
The Salvation Army is also supplying food to thousands of flood
victims.
8.37pm:
Qantas has joined the throng of businesses
calculating the financial impact of Queensland’s devastating
floods, saying bookings into Brisbane have taken a hit.
8.30pm: There were no serious injuries
following the light plane crash near Goondiwindi.
8.26pm: Full safety audits will be carried out
at 60 flood-hit schools across Queensland before they are
reopened.
8.19pm: Major banks in Queensland have agreed
to remove the fees for non-customers withdrawing cash from their
ATMs in flood-hit areas.
8.14pm: The people of Theodore will not be able
to start drinking tap water again until next week after the
Queensland town’s water supply failed to pass stringent health
tests today.
8.09pm: Anna Bligh has thanked all those
involved in the clean up efforts, saying “I hope and pray that
Mother Nature is leaving us alone to get on with the job”.
8.05pm: Police are urging people not to be
complacent with the receding floodwaters, warning that they are
still dangerous.
7.56pm: Thousands of people have been displaced
from their homes, with 4436 residents registered in 50
evacuation centres across the flood damaged area. Thousands more
have left their homes to stay with family and friends.
7.49pm: The flood predictions this morning for
the southern Queensland border town of Goondiwindi have been
revised to be less threatening than originally thought. The
situation will continue to be monitored but the Premier has
expressed confidence that the levees will not be breached. It is
now expected to emerge unscathed from the biggest flood threat
in its history, with levees holding out the Macintyre River. The
river flowed steady at 10.64 metres from Friday morning, safely
below the 11-metre levee. It is still the highest mark in the
town’s history, eclipsing the 10.6-metre record set during the 1996
flood, the ABC reports.
7.47pm: A total of 86 towns/cities have been
affected by the floods, with 17,500 homes damaged and a further
3,000 businesses affected.
7.45pm: The situation as it stands: 16 people
are confirmed dead and 53 missing. Grave concerns remain for 12 of
those missing.
7. 34pm: Anna Bligh is encouraging people from
across Australia to visit parts of Queensland not affected by the
flooding, in a bid to boost the local economy.
7.27pm: The 16th victim to be found dead as a
result of the Queensland flooding was a woman found in
Grantham .
7.24pm: A huge supply effort has seen 340
tonnes of food dropped into affected towns and cities by
helicopters.
7.21pm: Bligh is also encouraging extreme water
conservation from everyone, particularly those not affected, so
that water supplies may be directed to areas that need it most.
7.18pm: Premier Anna Bligh says the people of
Grantham, the epicentre of the flooding in the Lockyer Valley, have
been through some of the worst affected due to the shock of how
extensively the disaster hit them.
7.08pm: Premier Anna Bligh has told media that
the death toll has risen to 16 after another body was found.
6.53pm: Away from Queensland, evacuations are
underway in northern Tasmania, amid fears that dams could burst and
flood homes.
6.39pm: There are warnings that native wildlife
will have suffered serious long-term impacts from the flooding,
with some drowning, some starving, and some being unable to
breed.
6.24pm: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and Julia
Gillard are visiting Grantham, one of the worst affected towns.
6.15pm: Coal will start moving again out of the
world’s fourth largest export terminal, the Port of Gladstone,
tomorrow. Flooding closed the two train lines into the port.
5.56pm: More than 500 electricians from across
Australia have registered to inspect more than 30,000 properties in
Queensland needing to be checked by an electrician before power can
be restored.
5.45pm: Queensland authorities concede some of
those missing may never be found. Emergency Services Minister Neil
Roberts said the force of the water had carried one victim 80km
away from where they went missing in the Lockyer Valley,
demonstrating the mammoth search and rescue task ahead.
5.34pm: Goondiwindi’s Mayor Graeme Scheu said
the Macintyre River had remained at 10.64 metres for the past three
hours. The level eclipses the previous record of 10.6 metres. It
has not yet reached its peak.
5.27pm: Flood levels in Brisbane are at 1.9
metres and falling. Levels at Ipswich are at 9.75 metres
and falling according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology.
5.18pm: Anyone wanting to donate to relief
funds has been urged to stay on alert, following reports in
Queensland of bogus operators trying to collect on behalf of the
State Emergency Service.
5.07pm: A
snake catcher has been hired in Dalby to protect
New Zealand SES volunteers. Snakes are still posing a threat to
emergency and cleanup crews in central Queensland.
4.59pm: Queensland’s sodden southeast will have
reasonably fine weather over the weekend, according to
forecasts.
4.46pm: Shoppers have been in a giving mood,
with Coles and Woolworths saying they have collected more than $4
million combined in donations so far.
4.40pm: AAP is reporting that an ultralight
plane has crashed into floodwaters near Goondiwindi. It is unknown
how many passengers were on board. Goondiwindi is still
waiting for the Macintyre River to peak.
4.38pm: Meanwhile, the
Yarra River in Melbourne has reportedly burst its
banks.
4.31pm: Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Campbell Newman
has warned one of Brisbane’s main arterial roads may be at risk of
falling into the river. He said there are fears some lanes of
Coronation Drive, which connects the CBD to the western suburbs,
were at risk because of the unsteady river bank.
4.20pm: There have now been nine people
arrested in Brisbane and another in Ipswich on a total 18 charges
of looting. The maximum penalty for looting in Australia doubles to
10 years during disasters.
4.07pm: People are being urged to keep roads
clear for emergency services in Brisbane and motorists told not to
park illegally after reports of road users disobeying basic traffic
laws.
3.55pm: Around 47,500 people are without power
in the wider Brisbane area, along with 14,500 people in Ispwich and
its surrounding areas.
3.48pm: Initial assessments of Brisbane’s CBD
show many of the major buildings and bridges have escaped
relatively unscathed. A structural engineer told Channel Nine news
that a clearer picture of the damage would emerge over the next few
weeks, but that there were no current signs of untoward movement,
and most structures seemed to have withstood the flooding.
3.36pm: A team of 80 specialist fire and rescue
officers and 36 recruits have been deployed into Ipswich and
Brisbane to help the clean-up and assessment effort.
3.29pm: Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said
crews are starting to sort through huge piles of debris that have
been scattered throguhout the Lockyer Valley. He noted emergency
workers have more than 200km of waterways to cover.
3.23pm: Prime Minister Julia Gillard has
announced the number of defence force personnel involved in the
flood operation will be doubled to 1200. They will be called on to
help with the clean up, transport supplies and help with
search and rescue.
3.11pm: Police say onlookers out in force in
Brisbane are hampering the recovery effort. They have issued
another reminder for people to avoid sightseeing.
2.51pm: There has been no change in the death
toll. It remains at 15.
2.50pm: Some people reported missing in the
Lockyer Valley might not be found, Queensland Police
Commissioner Bob Atkinson said.
2.48pm: More than 200 people are searching
Grantham for bodies. The search will not be completed until next
week, police say.
2.45pm: The maximum penalty for people who are
convicted of looting doubles from five to ten years during a
natural disaster, Queensland Emergency Services Minister Neil
Roberts has warned. Ten people have been charged to date with
stealing by looting.
2.37pm: People in the Lockyer Valley fear
bodies are buried under silt beds, ABC has reported.
2.35pm: The levee bank in Goondiwindi is
holding. The Macintyre River has set a new record flood level and
is expected to peak at 10.85 metres today.
2.33pm: Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has
offered to send crews and equipment to help Brisbane clean up after
the floods. She has also promised $200,000 to support flood
victims in Queensland.
2.29pm: The number of homes and businesses in
Brisbane without power is falling and currently stands at
57,747.
2.24pm: Bidding for a bat and shirt used by
England’s Kevin Pietersen in the Ashes, plus tickets to a one-day
international between England and Australia, flights and
accommodation, has reached $42,000. There are still eight days to
go until the eBay auction ends.
2.18pm: Police want the public to stay out of
Ipswich CBD unless it is “absolutely essential” to enter. Police
have said heavy traffic is hampering recovery work.
2.12pm: Police are searching fields around the
town of Grantham for bodies.
2.10pm: “Unless you absolutely have to, don’t
go in the water,” said Queensland Chief Health Officer, Dr Jeanette
Young.
2.09pm: Residents in the Brisbane suburb of
Chelmer are to meet today to identify clean-up priorities, ABC
reported.
1.58pm: Details of any Queensland school
closures will be revealed next week. Most state schools are
expected to be ready on January 24.
1.51pm: One of two men arrested in Brisbane
last night for alleged looting from boats jumped into the Brisbane
River from a dinghy, police said. The dinghy was being towed to the
Brisbane Water Police base when the man, 37, made the jump. A
police officer went after the suspect who was later charged with
stealing by looting. The suspect lost consciousness and was given
first aid. Another man, 33, was charged with stealing by
looting.
1.49pm: More than 50 schools have been damaged
in Queensland. Queensland Treasurer Andrew Fraser said it would
take a significant effort to get schools up and running before
the start of the school year on January 24.
1.47pm: Floodwaters in the central
Queensland town of Condamine are still rising, with a peak of
14.8m expected on Saturday. The only inhabitants in the
evacuated town are two police officers and six State
Emergency Service personnel.
1.43pm: The Macintyre River at Goondiwindi will
peak at 10.85 metres.
1.31pm: New Zealand is to send more than
1200 pairs of gumboots to Queensland. The gumboots will come from
The Warehouse with Qantas offering to fly them to
Australia.
1.29pm: Power has been restored to 21,325 homes
and businesses in Brisbane. More than 62,500 customers are still
without power.
1.27pm: The Ipswich Motorway is expected to
reopen later today.
1.25pm: Residents in Dalby, which is
210 kilometres west of Brisbane, remain on tough water
restrictions after the towns water treatment plant was flooded for
the second time in three weeks. The plant has been shut down.
1.23pm: The number of people reported missing
remains at 55.
1.13pm: The Brisbane River has dropped to 2.25
metres. Another piece of the Brisbane riverwalk has broken away,
Channel Nine has reported.
1.11pm: Three people were arrested in
Brisbane overnight for allegedly stealing from moored
boats.
1.10pm: More than 900 people are in refuge
centres in Ipswich.
1.09pm: Residents in northern Tasmania face an
anxious wait as floodwaters rise following heavy overnight rain.
The state has been lashed with the same storm front which has hit
most of the east coast of Australia.
1.06pm: Flood levels are expected to peak later
today in Goondiwindi.
1.05pm: Police are discouraging people from
sightseeing. “There is a lot of very very upset and fragile people
in those communities,” Deputy Commissioner Ian Stewart said.
1.04pm: Some houses will have to be demolished,
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has warned.
1.02pm: Police have patrols to stop people from
stealing from boats, Deputy Commissioner Ian Stewart said.
1.01pm: Fresh water is being taken by trucks
into the Lockyer Valley.
12.59pm: There are ten buildings in Brisbane’s
CBD without power. The CBD will not be fully operational until
early next week, Anna Bligh said.
12.57pm: The king tide next Friday on the
Brisbane River will not be a problem due to the scheduled releases
from the Wivenhoe Dam over the coming few days, Queensland Premier
Anna Bligh said.
12.55pm: There are have been reports of groups
of people wanting to go to the Lockyer Valley, Queensland Premier
Anna Bligh said. Bligh appealed for people to wait.
12.53pm: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh: “I do
understand what it is like to be in a home without electricity for
two or three days”.
12.51pm: There are 600 Australian Defence Force
personnel working in Queensland with the flood-relief effort.
12.49pm: Deputy Commissioner Ian Stewart has
pleaded for people wishing to help with the clean-up to have a plan
before doing so and to register with appropriate groups.
12.48pm: Fire trucks are pumping water out of
the inner city bypass in Brisbane.
12.47pm: A minesweeper is set to enter Moreton
Bay, 45km from Brisbane, to clear debris.
12.45pm: There has been damage to water supply
in the Brisbane suburb of Mt Crosby.
12.43pm: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and
Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard will visit Grantham today.
The search for missing people will continue. Bligh said Grantham
had been at the “epicentre” of affected areas.
12.42pm: Roads have been cut at Dirranbandi in
south-west Queensland. The town is totally isolated, Anna Bligh
said.
12.41pm: There will be a king tide on the
Brisbane River next Friday. River levels will rise again.
12.39pm: There will be controlled releases from
the Wivenhoe Dam, 80km from Brisbane, Bligh says.
12.37pm: The water is dropping in Brisbane.
Many people are going back into their homes for the first time,
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh told a press conference. “There’s a
lot of heartache and grief”.
12.34pm: A media conference is due to be held
by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh.
12.29pm: Health authorities and the grocery
industry have warned residents returning to their flood-affected
homes to bin tainted food.
12.27pm: More than 350 people have been
evacuated from their homes as torrential rain falls over western
Victoria. The State Emergency Service has issued evacuation
warnings for Halls Gap, Beaufort, Great Western, Charlton and
Glenorchy.
12.24pm: Flood-affected Queenslanders have
submitted 7000 insurance claims so far, to the tune of $365
million, the Insurance Council of Australia has said. The
latest figure does not include claims for damage in the Toowoomba
and Brisbane regions, which have been two of the hardest hit.
12.14pm: About A$10 million (NZ$12.9 million)
was donated to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal yesterday.
12.12pm: More than 23,000 customers have had
power restored in Brisbane.
12.10pm: Flood-affected residents and
businesses that have been inundated by flood waters should have
their gas connections checked before use, police say.
12.08pm: The Brisbane River has dropped by
about 2 metres since yesterday.
12.04pm: The Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal
stands at A$45.48 million (NZ$58 million).
11.57am: Warning signs also been have
erected at a weir near the central Queensland town of Baralaba
where a crocodile has taken up residence. Banana Shire Mayor John
Hooper said crocodiles had lost their food source “and they’re
spreading out to find their food”.
11.54am: Water tankers are on their way to the
Lockyer Valley.
11.51am: Four people have been taken to
hospital in the central Queensland town of Theodore with
illnesses picked up in contaminated flood waters. One person
has been flown to Brisbane with a potentially life threatening
disease, Banana Shire Mayor John Hooper said.
11.43am: Up to 200 calls for help have been
made to the State Emergency Service by people in the city
of Broken Hill which is close to the South Australian
border and midway between the Queensland and Victorian borders.
11.41am: Additional police are being deployed
to Grantham to help the community.
11.40am: The Brisbane River is falling faster
than expected.
11.36am: The Bruce Highway, the road from
Brisbane to Cairns, is to be opened southbound to heavy
transport vehicles only from 7pm today.
11.30am: Brisbane City Council is monitoring
mosquito numbers. Residents are advised to protect themselves with
repellent.
11.28am: There are still more than 65,000 homes
and businesses in Brisbane without power.
11.20am: Flour mills in Queensland have
reportedly been affected by flooding.
11.17am: AFL players will donate a portion of
their match fees to the Queensland flood relief effort. AFL
Players’ Association president Luke Power confirmed the body had
resolved to give $150,000 to those affected by the floods.
11.13am: A massive Gold Coast street party
tonight could raise more than NZ$1.29 million for Queensland flood
victims. The “Mates in Need” fundraiser will be held
along the length of the Tedder Avenue restaurant strip, famous for
its party atmosphere during the annual Gold Coast 600 V8 Supercars
race.
11.05am: Volunteers in the Lockyer Valley are
reported to be suffering from lung infections.
11.02am: Emergency departments at all
Queensland hospitals are working, Dr Gino Pecoraro told Channel
Nine.
10.54am: The Macintyre River is 10.62 meters at
the Queensland border town of Goondiwindi. The levee in the
town is 11 metres. Mayor Graeme Scheu told Channel Nine the river
was still rising.
10.52am: Food pallets are to be dropped into
the Brisbane suburbs of Bellbowrie and Mt Crosby today.
10.47am: Goodwill Bridge, a pedestrian and
cyclist bridge across the Brisbane River, is currently closed.
10.45am: Recovery coordinator Major General
Mick Slater has called on Queenslanders to roll up their sleeves
and start the process of cleaning up the flood devastated parts of
the state.
10.41am: A search and rescue operation is
continuing in the Lockyer Valley. No bodies were found
yesterday in a mass of cars under a bridge at
Grantham. Police are reported to be searching in fields leading
into the town.
10.32am: The Macintyre River is 15cm from the
top of the levee at Goondiwindi, ABC reported.
10.24am: Bidding for a football experience
offered by Australia soccer star Tim Cahill has reached NZ$77,000.
The auction item is two business class airfares to Britain from
anywhere in Australia, donated by Emirates Airlines, to watch
Everton from the comfort of Cahill’s private box.
10.21am: Summer classes at the Queensland
University of Technology in Brisbane have been cancelled until
Monday.
10.14am: A man will appear in Rockhampton
Magistrates Court today after he allegedly jumped from a bridge in
Rockhampton into the flooded Fitzroy River. Police said two charges
of unregulated high risk activity and two of obstructing police had
been laid against the man. Police said the man had been seen
running away.
10.12am: “When people needed their neighbours
they were there for them,” Premier Anna Bligh said.
10.08am: The rebuild from the flooding will
take a number of years, Major General Mick Slater told Channel
Nine.
10.03am: There is concern over whether the
levee at Goondiwindi will hold even if it is not breached,
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has said.
10.01am: Fifty-five people are reported to be
still missing.
9.59am: Ferry services in Brisbane remain
suspended.
9.57am: The Pacific Motorway into Brisbane is
open. Police said two lanes were open.
9.55am: The Brisbane River has fallen below 3
metres, ABC reported. The Bremer River at Ipswich has fallen below
11 metres.
9.53am: The Pacific Highway is still closed to
the north of Grafton, but a detour is available for all vehicles,
Transport NSW says. The Bruxner Highway is closed at
Boggabilla and also for about 40km west of Tenterfield.
9.49am: The Beaufort Lake has broken its banks.
ABC reported that 30 homes in the town, midway between
Ararat and Ballarat, have been evacuated to date.
9.47am: The William Jolly Bridge is now
open in Brisbane.
9.45am: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has
pleaded with Queenslanders to be patient as they get get back on
their feet. “Inevitably, we will see a lot of pain and grief,” she
told Channel Nine.
9.39am: Police are going from house to house in
the town of Beaufort, Victoria to evacuate residents. Beaufort is
on the Western Highway midway between Ararat and Ballarat.
9.36am: Twenty properties in the town of
Bundaberg remain submerged. The damage bill from two floods in
10 days has been estimated at NZ$38.9 million.
9.33am: Flooding in the northern NSW town of
Boggabilla, near the Queensland border, is slightly less than
expected, the State Emergency Service has said.
9.31am: The lake at Beaufort, Victoria has
broken its banks, ABC has reported.
9.29am: Gusts as high as 120km/h are expected
in elevated areas across much of the western half of
Victoria, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
9.24am: The State Emergency Service (SES) is
evacuating residents in Beaufort, Victoria. There are
also concerns about the level of the Beaufort Lake. The
SES has issued major flood warnings for the Loddon River, Campaspe
River, Avoca River and the Wimmera River.
9.22am: Residents have been evacuated from
their homes as torrential rain falls over western
Victoria. About 100 people have been evacuated in Halls Gap
and moved to shelter in Stawell as 85mm of rain hit the region
overnight.
9.20am: Tennis superstars Roger Federer, Rafael
Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Kim Clijsters and Sam Stosur will hold
a fundraising event at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Sunday.
9.16am: There are 19 helicopters helping the
flood relief effort in Queensland.
9.12am: Australia captain Lucas Neill said
the Socceroos would wear wear black armbands in the Asian Cup
match against South Korea on Saturday out of respect to the
victims of the Queensland floods.
9.10am: The number of people reported missing
has been revised down from 61 to 55.
9.08am: More than 24,500 homes and businesses
in Brisbane have had power restored. There are 66,000 customers
still without power.
9.05am: The water level of the Brisbane River
is falling.
9.01am: There has been no change in
the level of the Macintyre River in the past hour,
Goondiwindi Mayor Graeme Scheu said. The levees protecting the
Queensland border town are 11 metres high. Scheu told Channel Nine
it was expected the water would not go past 10.85m.
8.54am: Reports have been received of
volunteers in the Lockyer Valley suffering from a fever, Dr Gino
Pecoraro told Channel Nine.
8.51am: A search and rescue operation continues
in Lockyer Valley.
8.47am: The number of homes and businesses in
Brisbane that have had power restored stands at 22,312. More than
65,000 customers are still affected, power company Energex
said.
8.43am: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has
announced the State Government will provide free public transport
for a week. Bligh said all public transport in Queensland’s
south east would be free for a week from today.
8.31am: Levees protecting the Queensland border
town of Goondiwindi are being severely tested. The levees are 11
metres high, with the water 40cm from the top. Goondiwindi Mayor
Graeme Scheu told TVNZ7 he was confident the levees would hold.
8.29am: Houses and businesses in more than 60
Brisbane suburbs have been inundated with water, mud and silt.
Brisbane MP Teresa Gambaro said the worst thing was the terrible
smell from sodden carpets, sewage-contaminated water and other
water-logged debris.
8.24am: Police say essential food supplies and
other items such as baby formula, nappies and pet food will be
available from the evacuation centre in the Brisbane suburb of
Bellbowrie from 11am today.
8.14am: Food supplies have been delivered by
Queensland Police and the Australian Defence Force to an evacuation
centre in the the isolated community of Bellbowrie, 17km
southwest of Brisbane CBD.
8.11am: The massive clean-up will continue in
Ipswich today where 3000 homes went under water.
7.59am: About 50 residents were evacuated last
night from Goondiwindi. The hospital and nursing home have been
evacuated.
7.52am: The Macintyre River is expected to peak
40cm below the top of the levees protecting the Queensland border
town of Goondiwindi, mayor Graeme Scheu told TVNZ7.
7.41am: The Capricorn Highway, which links
Rockhampton with western Queensland, is closed between the Yeppen
Roundabout and Gracemere.
7.35am: The Bruce Highway from Brisbane to
Cairns will reopen from around 7pm today. Heavy vehicles will be
allowed on the road first, with light vehicles to follow,
Roads Minister Craig Wallace said.
7.32am: Parking meters in flood affected areas
will not be enforced by Brisbane City Council for 30 days.
7.27am: Brisbane flood victims who are
experiencing financial hardship will receive an extra 30 days
to pay their rates, the city council says.
7.17am: CityCat and CityFerry services remain
suspended in Brisbane.
7.15am: Bus services in Brisbane will run on a
modified Sunday timetable today. Buses will be unable to operate in
the western suburbs, around Toowong and Indooroopilly. Queensland
Rail services will continue to operate hourly in and out of
Brisbane’s CBD where it is safe to do so.
7.13am: Brisbane City Council says 160 bus
services will operate across Brisbane today as floodwaters recede
and roads reopen. Twenty-five routes will remain suspended due to
road closures.
7.10am: About 23,000 homes and businesses in
Brisbane have had power restored. More than 64,000 addresses are
still without power.
7.06am: Brisbane’s Centenary Bridge remains
closed.
7.05am: Registrations are being taken for
people who wish to help with the clean-up.
7.02am: An evacuation centre has been set up at
the Goondiwindi Showgrounds for residents living in the low lying
areas of Goondiwindi.
6.59am: The Bruce Highway, which provides a
vital supply link between Brisbane and Cairns, is expected to
reopen today. Buses and trains in and around Brisbane’s CBD are
also set to resume.
6.49am: There have been more arrests for
looting in Brisbane overnight.
6.38am: The death toll from the south-east
Queensland floods disaster stands at 15. Authorities hold grave
fears for 12 people – 11 of them missing from the Lockyer Valley
community of Murphy’s Creek. Overall, 61 people are still listed as
missing.
Situation at 6.30am: Flood levees protecting the
Queensland border town of Goondiwindi are being severely tested.
The Macintyre River had been expected to peak to less than 15
centimetres from the top of the levees.
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pictures of the floods by emailing them to
onlinenews@tvnz.co.nz
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