Queensland downpour brings mixed emotions as graziers celebrate rain, but others lose everything

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The downpour in Queensland Australia has brought heartbreak for some and hope for others. As Rachel Stewart reports from Charters Towers, graziers have welcomed the rain, but others have lost everything.

Transcript

00:00This was Paul Devantia's home.

00:06What's left behind is just a big pile of rubbish really, you know, at that time.

00:11It was a roof over my head.

00:13He camped at McCrossan Park for two years.

00:16When the Burdekin River broke its banks, he lost everything.

00:20Yeah, well, um, left on Saturday afternoon and came back to this.

00:29His tent wrapped around a tree.

00:32That was his structure of the tent.

00:34He's now living in his ute.

00:36I just wish it'd stop raining.

00:38The downpour has been welcomed by graziers.

00:41People not too far north of us, they probably would wish that it stopped for a little while.

00:46We're lucky we've just been on the edge of it.

00:49Fanning Downs Station has been in the Costello family for 124 years.

00:55While the river rose, the property and cattle remained unscathed.

01:00This rain will set us up for a great season.

01:03Businesses are open, but the town's on water restrictions.

01:08Chelsea Wheeler is lucky to have a rainwater tank.

01:11We haven't had to reschedule any clients, however we have had clients have to reschedule

01:16because of the flooding and they can't come into town.

01:19Charters Towers is a major freight route with road and rail now back up and running.

01:24But in other communities, supply issues are ongoing.

01:28Supermarkets have had difficulty getting goods further north.

01:32Pleasing, as of today, we've secured air flight out of Brisbane into Cairns,

01:37upwards of about 20 pallets.

01:39Again, this will be basic foods and water for the community up in Cairns.

01:44In the meantime, locals have been sourcing alternatives.

01:48Across the shelf there was empty, so we come to here.

01:51This Cairns market has been run off its feet.

01:54If you're up 300% in one day, they're new faces.

01:58So look, I encourage them to keep coming back.

02:01A silver lining for the hard-hit north.

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