North Queensland flood emergency continues with Ingham cut off

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The flood emergency continues in North Queensland, with the risk of further flash flooding today. The community of Ingham remains cut off, and flooding has caused major issues for the town's water supply.

Transcript

00:00While life is getting back to normal here in Townsville, the situation about an hour

00:07and a half north at Ingham is still dire.

00:10Floodwaters have devastated the town and isolated it from the rest of North Queensland.

00:16The Herbert River remains stubbornly high, but authorities say help has started to arrive.

00:23Army helicopters have been delivering resources, including food and generators.

00:28Water supply has been re-established after it was cut off this morning.

00:33Power remains a major issue in Ingham after the local substation was inundated.

00:38Urgent assessments are underway to determine how quickly it can be brought back online.

00:43Hinchinbrook Mayor Raymond Jayo says the level of inundation has made it challenging for

00:48local authorities to act until now.

00:51We haven't been able to do anything.

00:53If there's any criticism out there that we've reacted slowly, I'm here to tell you that

00:57we couldn't.

00:58We've got no access, we've got floods, water had not receded.

01:02We've got no power, we've got no food, we've got no nothing until today.

01:07We are here.

01:08We have lots to do.

01:10We are not going anywhere until it's done.

01:13Power, water, phone, cleanliness, getting you back on your feet.

01:20The federal government says the Defence Force will help to build a temporary crossing over

01:25the next two weeks at Olara Creek on the Bruce Highway.

01:28That's a crucial road link between Townsville and Ingham that was washed away earlier this

01:33week.

01:34The Commonwealth has also announced extra financial assistance for residents who've

01:38lost income during this flood crisis.

01:41So there's been some good news today for residents, but there's still a long way to go and a lot

01:47of work to do in these hardest hit communities.

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