Flooded with gratitude

More than 56 per cent of Queensland - an area almost the size of South Australia - is now eligible for disaster relief funds after recent monsoonal weather...

Thirty Queensland communities have been declared disaster zones.

Queensland's Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said the total damage bill across the state was £29.5 million.

Aurukun, Charters Towers, Hopevale, Kowanyama, Lockhart River, Mapoon, Mornington, Northern Peninsula and Pormpuraaw are the latest communities to be given access to the joint state and federal disaster relief program.

Eight rivers - the Diamantina, Georgina, Nicholson, Gregory, Cloncurry, Flinders, and Norman, and Eyre Creek - remain in flood after further heavy falls on Monday night around Urandangi (61 mm) and Camooweal (58 mm).

Floods have cut major roads into the state's north-west for more than a week and the communities of Normanton and Karumba are expected to be isolated for at least another six weeks.

About 8,000kg of dry food and medications and 3,000kg of perishable food were flown to Normanton on Tuesday.

Karumba will receive supplies by barge on January 27th, and goods will be shipped to Mornington Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria by Sunday.

The Richmond Shire Council is also organising food drops to isolated properties over the next two days.

It could be eight weeks before Bedourie, in south-west Queensland, is accessible by road.

Mr Roberts said personal hardship grants of £78 per person and up to £362 per family were available for directly affected residents.

Source: The Age