Qld: Towns isolated by floods to receive food drops

AAP General News (Australia)
12-15-2000
Qld: Towns isolated by floods to receive food drops

BRISBANE, Dec 15 AAP - Rain in the wake of Cyclone Sam has left several communities
in Queensland's northwest isolated by floods.

Queensland Emergency Services Minister Stephen Robertson said today he was considering
using State Disaster Relief Arrangements (SDRA) for the aerial supply of essential food
and other items to the flood-soaked towns of Doomadgee and Gregory.

Mr Robertson said the state government had already provided assistance for the aerial
supply of Burketown, which had 1,400kg of foodstuffs flown in on Wednesday.

"I understand both Burke and Carpentaria Shire councils are now in the process of preparing
requests for SDRA assistance to enable the re-supply of Doomadgee and Gregory by air,"

he said in a statement.

"I expect those requests will arrive on my desk early next week and, if warranted,
I will activate SDRA to assist the aerial re-supply of these towns as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, heavy rain from Cyclone Sam has cut the state's major road link between
Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Police said the flooded Georgina River had cut the Barkly Highway just outside the
town of Camooweal, near the Northern Territory border.

Communities near the Gulf of Carpentaria were also isolated after more than 400mm of
rain in the past week.

AAP ch/mjm/br 9

KEYWORD: FLOODS QLD NIGHTLEAD

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