RURAL leaders hope one silver lining to come from the damage caused to roads by widespread flooding last week will be a long-awaited Federal Government commitment to fix ailing highways in western Queensland once and for all.
Inland highways such as the Warrego Highway in particular have been disintegrating from heavy use and insufficient funding for several years and were already in a poor state prior to last week's flood events.
With huge sections of roads now destroyed, AgForce president John Cotter has called on the Federal Gov-ernment to step up and make the funding commitment required to fix Queens-land's heavily used inland highway network.
"When an event like this happens, don't just patch it up," Mr Cotter said.
"Sure get it trafficable, but if there is major damage then reconstruct it to stand a flood like this next time so it doesn't get damaged.
"We have always said how bad the Warrego Highway was and that was before this.
"I would think that the Federal Government needs to get a big chunk of money, and there is an absolute expectation that they need to step up to the plate on this.
"They have to play a big role in this."
Taxpayers will face a huge damage bill as a result of the record floods that swept through the region last week, with significant sections of major roads and rail lines simply washed away.
The legacy of last week's flooding will endure for months and years to come in the form of a massive damage bill to public and private property and the wider benefits brought by a desperately needed soaking of vast tracts of previously drought ravaged grazing and farming country.
Immediate attention is focusing on the size of the damage bill and the massive clean up effort that is getting under way as floodwaters gradually recede.
Towns such as Roma, Surat, Char-leville and St George were cleaning up this week after several days of inundation while residents and property owners at Cunnamulla, Thargomindah, Hunger-ford and Dirranbandi and Theodore were still waiting for floodwaters to move away as Queensland Country Life went to press yesterday.
"Some roads just turned into rivers," Paroo Shire mayor Jo Sheppard said.
"It is going to be extensive damage, not just for our shire but for the whole of South West Queensland. It is going to be a massive issue."
Maranoa Regional Council Mayor Rob Loughnan toured damaged roads in the council area with Queensland Minister for Main Roads Craig Wallace on Tuesday and said damage would be in the vicinity of $10-$20 million dollars.
Cr Loughnan said the council had overseen the removal of more than 15,000 cubic metres of household waste from over 200 flood affected residences.
"We need to give a wrap to all the people that have helped; the clean up has occurred in quick time," he said.
"Main Roads have responded very quickly and Origin and Santos and RoadTech all made their staff available to help people who weren't able to clean up themselves.
"Their staff were not able to get out on the job themselves so they made their people available and that worked brilliantly.
"It was a great example of good corporate citizenship."
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