Floods sprawling over AA Co’s South Galway station. Photo: AA Co Facebook

CHOPPERS have been fired up in Queensland’s channel country to deliver hay to livestock, which are currently stranded by what many are saying is the biggest flood the area has seen in 50 years.

The floods have caused plenty of devastation, with rivers in homesteads and livestock losses that won’t be known for a long time. Floodwaters are heading for Thargomindah and Eulo, with concerns they might breach levy banks.

Sheep producers appear to have copped the brunt of the livestock losses, with photos of sheep mortalities now circulating on social media and some producers talking about at least 80pc losses. Many of the sheep in the area had a full fleece and were ready for shearing.

Longreach-based Elders agent Tim Salter said he was expecting to flock to be down 25-30pc due to the rain, with some places losing 50-80pc of their flock.

“As a result, in time, the season should be one of the best for 80/100 years,” he said. “Prior to this we were in a very tight season – entering drought conditions in some areas with ground water issues.”

Cattle losses are also on the cards, however, it does not appear to be as acute as sheep. Elders’ Richard Koch said at least one producer had lost 600 breeders and last week, Quilpie agent Sam Bartlett said he was also expecting losses.

One producer in the area told Beef Central that he had not seen too many cattle mortalities yet and he was hoping they had floated downstream and found higher ground.

Extensive infrastructure damage

Outside the stock losses, infrastructure damage is expected to be huge. Homesteads have been floods and a lot of fences will be down.

Much of the flooded area south of Longreach, down the Quilpie, has had seen significant investment into exclusion fencing.

It is unclear at this stage how much exclusion fencing is down and what the cost will be to replace them.

A turnaround in season

One of the most remarkable parts of last week’s rain was just how widespread it was. The Bureau of Meteorology’s rainfall overview map shows that more than 50mm has fallen across most of Qld, Northern New South Wales and eastern parts of the Northern Territory.

Last week’s rain system was remarkably widespread.

As this week’s feeder cattle market highlighted, the rain has turned a lot of seasons around.

While damaging to the channel country, a significant body of feed is expected to pop up after the floods. Many in Northern NSW has gone from destocking to having newly planted oats watered in last week. Other parts of Western Qld have had much needed follow up to previous storms.

More rain is on the forecast.

Locals busy assessing the damage

The flooding has made the area busy, with choppers flying out hay bales to stranded livestock and helping to assess the damage that floods have inflicted.

Last week saw a lot of connectivity drop out, with many saying that it was only Starlink satellite services that allowed them to communicate through the floods.

Beef Central was asked to give a nod to Shane and Lauren Wendelborn of Channel Country Helicopters, who had been working hard to deliver hay, food stores, medical supplies and to move livestock.

BOM is forecasting another rain system through Western Qld this week.

Rain has gone as far north as Prairie in North Queensland, down to Northern New South Wales. Photo: Sam Fryer

Governments respond to the floods

Governments have started to respond to the floods, with Qld premier David Crisafulli with other LNP frontbenchers touring through the area over the weekend.

They have enacted a series loans and grants to help producers rebuild, including:

• Disaster Assistance Loans up to $250,000 for primary producers to repair or replace damaged plant and equipment, repair premises, replace stock, and maintain liquidity
• Concessional loans up to $100,000 for primary producers to maintain operations, including paying wages, rents or rates, purchasing items like fuel, fodder and water, or for the transportation of livestock and produce.
• Up to $5,000 for primary producers to assist with the movement of stock, feed, machinery, fuel, water, and building or fencing materials.

Coalition announces new radar

Leader of the Nationals David Littleproud has called for a widespread response to the floods, similar to what was enacted in the 2019 floods on North Qld. He has been in Quilpie.

“Immediate, large-scale support is desperately needed for western Queensland,” Mr Littleproud said.

“I have spoken with the Prime Minister, the Opposition Leader and the Queensland Premier, to thank them for this funding.

“This disaster requires a bipartisan approach, to ensure locals get the assistance they need. We back any measure in relation to providing support, including the request of the Australian Defence Force, if that is made by the Queensland Government.”

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said today that Government would add a new $10m radar to Central Qld to better prepare for floods.

“The Coalition knows that a new weather radar is of critical importance for communities and businesses in Central Queensland,” Mr Dutton said.

“This $10 million funding announcement is yet another reflection that a Dutton-Littleproud Government would once again prioritise the needs of regional Australians after  the neglect of the Albanese Government.”