Queensland authorities say while the bulk of the flooding crisis in the state’s south-west is over, floodwaters are yet to peak at a number of smaller communities.

Emergency Management Queensland spokesman Bob Bundy says a large number of State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers are operating in the affected towns.

“We have a lot happening here in St George and south of here in Bollon and Dirranbandi – and Thallon is our focus at the moment in this particular area,” he said.

“Also at Cunnamulla we think it has peaked there and we are also looking at Thargomindah down the track and other communities south of there as the river systems move down further.”

Thargomindah

The Bulloo Mayor says the river at Thargomindah in south-west Queensland is close to peaking today but more water will arrive later in the week.

Another 1,000 sandbags were flown into the town last night to prepare the community for its biggest flood since 1974.

Bulloo Mayor John Ferguson says residents spent an anxious night.

“There’s still more water coming down the Bulloo – I think this is the main peak, but there’s another four or five days behind this,” he said.

“There’s another rise – what it will get to I’m not too sure yet.”

Police at Thargomindah say residents are in good spirits despite floodwaters isolating their community for most of this year.

Sergeant Kerry Nugent says there has been no major damage to date.

“Everybody continues to be upbeat here at the moment – it’s probably due to the fact that things have been so dry for so long and it’s a real change for everyone in town, so it’s been received quite well,” he said.

“The water’s rising quite slowly so it is giving us the opportunity to deal with it as it arises.”

Charleville

Murweh Mayor Mark O’Brien says there are almost 20 houses in the south-west community of Charleville that still are not safe to live in due to flood damage and may not be for some time.

Councillor O’Brien says authorities are trying to work out how to accommodate affected residents after last week’s flood in Bradley’s Gully, which runs through the centre of town.

But he says there has been progress in the clean-up of the town’s CBD.

“It’s a bit of an irony for us that because we have had this a couple of times, we sort of know the ropes a little bit,” he said.

“People tend to know what they need to do and what the expectations are – the pick-ups of rubbish and all that sort of thing are happening.

“In fact the town is back buzzing pretty much as normal in the commercial centre.”

Cunnamulla

Meanwhile, Paroo Mayor Jo Sheppard says there have been no breaches in the levee at Cunnamulla, as floodwaters peak in the Warrego River.

The weather bureau was forecasting a 10-metre peak today.

But Councillor Sheppard says she does have concern for a few outlying properties in the shire and others on the outskirts of the town.

“The levee has done a great job again and the town is safe at this point,” she said.

“No two floods though are the same and the water has flowed completely differently to the last flood.

“Some of the properties down Weir Road are experiencing a lot more flooding than what usually happens, so I do have a bit of concern for a couple of the properties down there.”

Further south, the small town of Hungerford is making preparations as the floodwaters start to flow into northern New South Wales.

Dirranbandi

In Queensland’s southern inland, heavy equipment is being used to reinforce the levee at Dirranbandi in preparation for today’s flood peak.

Five State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers are being flown by helicopter to help with flood preparations at Dirranbandi.

Residents have been told that floodwaters will be high for several days.

At nearby St George, the water has started to slowly recede but 20 houses remain inundated.

The Department of Community Services says fresh food and other supplies are being taken to Bollon, west of St George, today.

Most of the houses there are still under water and river levels remain high.

Thallon

Graincorp is yet to assess the flood damage to 40,000 tonnes of grain stored at a depot at Thallon in the southern inland.

David Titterton, from Graincorp, says floodwaters breached a levee protecting the grain storage bunkers.

He says they will be checking the condition of the grain in the next few days.

“We’ve got water on three bunkers – there’s probably about 40,000 tonnes in those bunkers,” he said.

“But because of the way we store the grain, we’ve got top sheets and bottom sheets basically sewn together.

“There’s very little chance of the water getting into the grain.

“We’re very hopeful there’s very little to no damage in those bunkers.”

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