THE Channel Country community of Windorah, along with many cattle stations in the State's far south-west, are expected to remain isolated for at least another week as floodwaters in Cooper Creek peaked at close to seven metres this week.
But the flooding has been welcomed by cattle producers in the Barcoo Shire after receiving only sporadic festive season falls and on the back of more than seven years of drought.
Moderate to major flooding is also expected to continue throughout the week on the Thomson River between Longreach and Jundah and moderate to major flooding is continuing along the Barcoo River with the main flood peak now downstream of Retreat.
Barcoo Shire Mayor and cattle producer, Bruce Scott, Moothandella, 40km east of Windorah, said many producers missed out on significant rain and would be looking for follow-up rain to get a body of feed.
"Windorah has been cut off since last Thursday and there are further rises coming down from the Barcoo end of the Thomson River," Mr Scott said.
"Stations on the Cooper Creek will get some beneficial flooding and the further you are north the bigger the benefit.
"It's all part of the natural process in the Channel Country, the beneficial flooding from higher rainfall in the north, and how the ecology and cattle industry operate here. We had 123mm in six falls here at Moothandella and our creek here at the house, Thunda Creek, is the highest it's been since 2004.
"But the rain was very sporadic in the Barcoo Shire with falls ranging from less than 25mm up to 300mm. Certainly, south of Windorah has missed out and west of Windorah has been lighter, and west of Eromanga I believe there's been nothing.
"The area from Windorah to Thargomindah, there are some really dry spots in there."
Mr Scott said with floodwaters being slow-moving, people had time to prepare and no stock losses have been reported.
"Helicopters have been busy moving stock out of floodwaters and most people are pleased that there's more floodwater coming and that they'll have an opportunity to fatten cattle," he said.
"The only issue in a flooding event like this is you do get some three-day sickness."
Three-day sickness is transmitted by midges and mosquitoes and characterised by a fever, lameness and stiffness.
Mr Scott said this year's flooding was not as extreme as the January 2004 floods when floodwaters peaked at 6.8m at Jundah compared to 6.3m this year, and at Retreat where the peak reached 10.9m in 2004, but did not hit 10m this year.
With Longreach and surrounds receiving falls in excess of 260mm since Christmas and the Thomson River peaking on Sunday at 5.42m, Longreach Regional Council was prompted to chopper in emergency food and medical supplies throughout the district on Friday and Saturday to isolated properties.
Longreach Regional Council chief executive officer Michelle McFadyen said this year's inundation was different to last year's flooding due to more local rain.
"We did 12 drops in the helicopter - five down to Yaraka, one near Isisford, and the rest were to properties closer to Longreach," Ms McFadyen said. "Five of those 12 deliveries needed medications and the rest were just basic staples like bread and milk.
"The difference this year was that we had a significant amount more of localised rain - we've had 260mm since Christmas Day here in Longreach.
"We didn't have that much local rain last year, which just compounds the wetness of everything."
In the seven days to January 11, the biggest falls in Queensland were recorded at Cloncurry with 193mm, Julia Creek 173mm, Sarina 136mm, Muttaburra 161mm, Winton 120mm, and Alpha 110mm.
As Queensland Country Life went to print, flood warnings also remained in place for the Paroo, Bulloo, Diamantina and Georgina Rivers, with floodwaters remaining steady or falling.
* For road closure details contact the Department of Transport and Main Roads' traffic information line on 131 940 or visit the website: www.131940.qld.gov.au
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