Minister to visit flooded Gulf communities

Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts will return to flooded north-west communities this afternoon, to see first hand how the floods are affecting them.

It is the second time the Minister has visited Normanton and Karumba, since the region was inundated at the start of January.

“Normanton and Karumba have been isolated for around 5 weeks, and could be isolated for up to another five weeks,” Mr Roberts said.

“I understand how hard this must be for residents, and I want to talk to them, face to face, to hear what they have to say.

“I also want to assure residents the State Government is doing everything it possibly can to help locals.

“The Prime Minister and the Premier yesterday announced $3million in Natural Disaster arrangements to fund fodder drops to the north-west.

“As a result of previous visits, more than 190 tonnes of essential food supplies have been delivered to Normanton and Karumba by air and sea-going barge.

“The latest air re-supply effort concluded yesterday.

“A barge containing 85 tonnes of non-essential supplies for local business left Cairns yesterday,” he said.

The fortnightly barge service, and supplementary air deliveries, will continue until the roads into the communities open.

A temporary water purification plant will be airlifted into Karumba today by the Australian Defence Force to ensure supplies of fresh water after the pipeline from Normanton developed a fault.

Emergency Management Queensland (EMQ) has already imported 6000 litres of bottled water into Karumba to sure-up the fresh water supply. Another 6000 litres is on-standby in Townsville.

The Department of Primary Industries has also commenced targetted aerial fodder drops on properties in the Gulf Country, where owners have been unable to shift stock to higher country.

A mix of jetranger and R44 helicopters are shifting 300kg bales of hay to three stranded mobs along the Cloncurry and Norman river systems.

Queensland Health has also stationed a doctor in Karumba to attend to the town’s medical needs while isolated.

A senior officer from EMQ is in Normanton to help plan for the recovery.

EMQ has also chartered a helicopter and stationed it at Karumba to assist with any aero-medical needs. This helicopter will remain there for at least two more weeks.

This helicopter is supported by EMQ’s own aero-medical helicopters based in Cairns (113 minutes away) and Townsville (140 minutes away) as well as fixed wing aircraft like the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which is based in Cairns (60 mins away) and Townsville (105 mins away).

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