Army chief takes charge of flood recovery

AUSTRALIA put an army general in charge of flood recovery yesterday after weeks of heavy rains deluged the country’s coal-producing north-east, crippling the area’s economy and sending out reverberations felt in energy markets around the world.

Floodwaters have forced most of Queensland state’s coal mines to shut and some may not restart production for months, ministers said at an emergency Cabinet meeting in Brisbane, the state capital.

After the meeting, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh announced that Major General Mick Slater would lead the recovery effort of floods that have affected 200,000 people and are estimated to cost billions of dollars.