Prime Minister Anthony Albanese assesses Queensland flood damage where over 16,000 livestock are dead or missing and towns remain cut off.
CLONCURRY: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese toured flood-ravaged outback Queensland on Tuesday to assess widespread damage.
Swollen rivers have isolated towns and swept away thousands of livestock across the state’s vast inland region.
Queensland authorities reported more than 16,000 livestock are missing or dead due to the heavy downpours.
Hundreds of kilometres of fencing have also been destroyed in the area, home to some of Australia’s largest cattle stations.
Albanese flew into the remote mining town of Cloncurry, located over 1,500 kilometres from Brisbane.
Social media photos showed cattle surviving by crowding together on small hills above the floodwaters.
Rescue helicopters were used to drop bales of fodder to stranded herds.
Some towns, like Winton, have been completely cut off by the floodwaters.
One man trekked through knee-deep mud for nearly 40 kilometres after his car became stuck.
A LifeFlight helicopter crew later found and rescued him by following his footprints.
Researchers consistently warn that climate change increases the risk of natural disasters like floods.
Over 100,000 livestock died in similar Queensland floods in March and April last year.
The region is one of the nation’s primary cattle fattening grounds.
Its flat plains are typically dry and inhospitable for most of the year.
Cattle rely on pastures that sprout when wet-season rains fill the region’s dry creek beds.
