Rachael Anderson, at Eddington, west of Julia Creek in north-west Queensland, was one of the emotionally exhausted landholders who woke up to water surrounding her homestead.
She felt broken by the thought of how her stock was coping.She has seen cows struggling in the swollen Eastern Creek on their doorstep and expected to lose cows and calves at the very least.
"For us, the losses would be into the hundreds already, and the concerns are the same for most of us. We expect thousands will be lost across the district," Ms Anderson said. Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the Australian Defence Force would use its aircraft to help graziers.Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk vowed on Thursday to visit the affected areas to see the devastation.
"We heard today first-hand from the mayors of Richmond, Flinders and Winton ... they expressed to us the enormity of the situation out there, especially when there's going to be cattle loss," she said.Bureau of Meteorology acting state manager Dr Richard Wardle said the extreme weather event in the central and north-western parts of the state was record-breaking.
"Our thoughts are with the farmers out west. We heard distressing stories this morning and that river at Richmond, the Flinders River, has exceeded the 1974 flood level," he said. "That river is still rising. That is going to mean that major flooding will continue for the next few days." Source - https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au