A tiny south-west Queensland community has almost run out of fuel as floodwaters continue to cut access to the region.

Thargomindah is still surrounded by water from the Bulloo River – which has been high all week and could be for several days yet.

Extra food supplies are being flown in today and property in the town has been sandbagged.

Mayor John Ferguson says the fuel shortage is not causing too many problems yet – because no can drive anywhere.

“They are all walking – I suppose it’s a good exercise program,” he said.

“We’ve got 400 litres of unleaded left and that’s for emergency service only.

“We’ve got very little Avgas – probably got enough to fill up a couple of planes if we have to.

“Council still has a bit of diesel but we haven’t been able to get a truck in here for weeks. ”

He says the River is almost at 6.5 metres and the floodwaters have not started to recede yet .

“It’s dropping up the river from us so that is a good sign but there is still a lot of water in the town, under houses, schools and the football field,” he said.

“We’re still working on the levee banks, the boys are still sandbagging places just as a safety precaution.

“We’ve filled up another 300 sandbags, we’ve got them on pallets and they’re on standby if we need them. ”

At Charleville, floods have damaged some buildings at the local hospital complex – but the hospital building is unscathed.

Queensland Health’s Merryl Brumpton most patients will be moved back into the hospital over the next two days and planning is under way to relocate patients back into St George.

“The IT area where all the computers are held at Charleville, it had water go through it,” she said.

“Some of the Allied Health where physio and things like that are and some of our staff accommodation has been damaged to the point that it’ll be many months before our staff can be returned to our accommodation.”

Three schools remain closed in southern Queensland today.

Education Queensland’s Greg Dickman says Bollon, Thallon and Thargomindah State Schools are still flooded.

“All the schools in the southwest are open with the exception of three schools,” Mr Dickman said.

“Unfortunately although the water has receded it hasn’t gone down far enough for us to be able to get people in to check the safety of those sites so they are going to have to remain closed.”

Economists say the floods in Central and Southern Queensland will boost retail sales and generate building and construction activity.

Doctor Bruce Littleboy from the University of Queensland’s School of Economics says while the floods impose heavy up front costs for governments, the rebuilding process stimulates the economy.

He says the floods may lead to a shortage of skilled tradespeople.

“City folk who are wanting to put extensions onto their houses and so forth might find that the skilled labourers are drifting out to western Queensland to do some rebuilding,” Mr Littleboy said.

“So yes, it may actually be a windfall for the construction industry – there are always gainers and losers from a big economic change.”