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<\/p>\nA constant whirring of choppers has replaced the sound of torrential rainfall across outback Queensland as pilots desperately drop fodder to save stranded cattle.<\/p>\n
Cody Rogers has been coordinating the hay bale drops to properties around Julia Creek, one of the most heavily flooded areas.<\/p>\n
“We’ve done 70 or 80 bales at least,” Mr Rogers said.<\/p>\n
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Cody Rogers had cattle on agistment at Balootha station, 90km from Julia Creek. (ABC News)<\/p>\n
While the sun has re-emerged in some areas, kilometres of floodwaters remain in pockets of north-west Queensland.<\/p>\n
Outback communities have become islands as the water has cut off roads, rail lines, and runways.<\/p>\n
For cattle producers, like Mr Rogers, the focus now is on saving as many beasts as possible.<\/p>\n
“We have a terrific team of pilots \u2026 they’ve done really good work in the last two days swimming cattle to higher ground,” he said.<\/p>\n
Loading…Fodder drop funding announced<\/p>\n
The Department of Primary Industries is yet to release an official figure of livestock that has been lost.<\/p>\n
Some graziers have reported minimal losses, while others are tallying up totals from entire paddocks of missing cattle.<\/p>\n
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The Julia Creek region was one of the worst affected by flooding. (Supplied: Sean Dillon)<\/p>\n
Assistant Minister for Western Queensland Sean Dillon said there had been “serious damage to infrastructure and loss of life for livestock”.<\/p>\n
“Whilst in scale, this event would appear to be smaller than the 2019 but the intensity of this in the areas that will be worst affected [is] going to be more severe,” he said.<\/p>\n
The cost of fuel, hay, and helicopter hours adds up.<\/p>\n
Mr Rogers said it cost his team $40,000 on Thursday alone to make the hay drops.<\/p>\n
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Heavy storm clouds settled over far north-west Queensland. (Supplied: Jack Neilson)<\/p>\n
The Queensland and Commonwealth governments have announced a jointly funded $2 million emergency fodder support package for producers in the McKinlay Shire, which includes Julia Creek.<\/p>\n
Minister for Disaster Recovery Ann Leahy said the funding would support producers to feed stranded livestock.<\/p>\n
“Primary producers need to lodge their request with the local council and council will manage from there,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Should the impacts extend, we would look at adding additional locations should it be required and should the requests come forward.”<\/p>\n
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Pilots are mustering cattle through floodwater to higher ground. (Supplied: McKinlay Shire Council)<\/p>\n
Isolated heavy falls coincide with king tides<\/p>\n
Although the worst of the severe weather has passed in the north-west, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said isolated heavy rainfall was still possible at the weekend.<\/p>\n
Meteorologist Shane Kennedy said a major flood warning was in place for Walkers Bend and potentially major flooding was possible at Richmond and Winton.<\/p>\n
“Catchments are very wet across northern Queensland so any further rainfall is likely to produce some flash flooding as well as further river rises,” he said.<\/p>\n
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Floodwaters are expected to linger in the north-west for weeks.<\/p>\n
Along the coast, a severe weather warning for the north tropical coast was cancelled on Friday, but the bureau said isolated heavy falls between Cairns and Mackay were possible until early next week.<\/p>\n
It said king tides would continue in the Townsville area until Monday, with a high of 4.03 metres on Saturday, and low-lying areas including South Townsville and Railway Estate were most at risk from water level rises.<\/p>\n
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Food supplies are being transferred by boat into cut-off communities like Normanton. (Supplied: Troy Gallagher)<\/p>\n
Townsville mayor Nick Dametto urged the community to be prepared but not to panic.<\/p>\n
“I want people to be vigilant but I also I want people to be prepared, this is a very early start to the wet season,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We could be dealing with cyclones or floods all the way up to the end of March.”<\/p>\n
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a tropical low to develop in the northern Coral Sea from Monday, with a low chance it will develop into a tropical cyclone later in the week.<\/p>\n
Crocs and frustrated motorists<\/p>\n
The deluge of floodwater has led to 22 crocodile sightings from Cairns to Townsville since Boxing Day.<\/p>\n
The reptiles would “search out a quiet place where they can wait for floodwaters to recede”, a Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
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Dinosaur Drive in Winton is partially submerged. (Supplied: Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum)<\/p>\n
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