QLD:More storms predicted for inland Qld

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2012
QLD:More storms predicted for inland Qld

BRISBANE, Feb 1 AAP - More storms are expected to hit Queensland's southwest in the
next two days, including in the Charleville area where some properties flooded on Tuesday.

More than 40 people left their homes in Charleville before water levels in Bradleys
Gully peaked at 2.1 metres on Tuesday afternoon, well shy of the predicted 2.9 metres.

Murweh Mayor Mark O'Brien said four businesses were affected by floodwaters, but dozens
of homes in low-lying areas near the gully were spared.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Michelle Berry said more storms would dump
heavy rain over the state's interior in the Charleville, Longreach and St George areas
on Wednesday and Thursday.

"We are looking at up to 100mm of rainfall over 24 hours," Ms Berry said, but the rain
is expected to ease at the weekend.

Bureau flood forecaster Jess Carey said Bradleys Gully was "susceptible" and "primed"

for more flooding, while Mitchell, east of Charleville on the Maranoa River, may be the
next town to flood.

Premier Anna Bligh and Liberal National Party leader Campbell Newman were both in Charleville
on Wednesday.

A year ago, when floods hit Brisbane and Ipswich after swamping swathes of inland Queensland,
Ms Bligh and the then Brisbane lord mayor were working side by side on the recovery effort.

Now they are arch-rivals, trying to convince voters ahead of the March 24 election
who has the best skills to lead the state in a crisis.

Charleville resident Karen McLennan, who had about half a metre of water through her
auto repair shop, said that if the leaders were serious about helping they'd fix the cause
of the town's ongoing flood woes.

"I don't know what other people think, but its a non-event to me," she said of the
leaders' visits.

"It doesn't make any difference to me, nothing changes. We're still in the same boat every time.

"They could finish the job properly they were supposed to do, which was build a levee
bank and divert the gully."

A spokeswoman for Ms Bligh later said the Labor government had already promised to
build a diversion of Bradleys Gully, setting aside more than $14 million for the project
in September.

"The diversion is being built and they are half way through the project," the spokeswoman
told AAP, adding it would be completed before the next wet season.

AAP peb/tnf/psm/

KEYWORD: STORMS QLD

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