Australian floods head for peak level

The flooded Australian city of Rockhampton was preparing itself for the worst today as waters continued to rise.

Levels are expected to peak at another few feet, with air, rail and road links cut and the city's sewage plant now under threat.

Locals made their way in boats through waters that reached waist-high in some areas today but were warned not to wade into them for fear of snakes and crocodiles.

The huge inland sea spawned by more than a week of heavy rain across Queensland is making its way along the Fitzroy River toward the ocean – and Rockhampton, with its 75,000 inhabitants, lies in the way.

The river has already burst its banks, inundating houses and businesses. Up to 500 people who live along the river have evacuated their homes.

Mayor Brad Carter said that large swathes of the city might be under water for another two weeks.

He said floods were also threatening Rockhampton’s sewage treatment plants and officials may seek to discharge some effluent directly into the swollen river system.

Rockhampton is the latest of 22 cities and towns in Queensland to be swamped by floods that began building just before Christmas – the worst effects of an unusually wet summer in the tropical region. No one has died in Rockhampton, but swollen rivers and flooding have killed 10 people in Queensland since late November.

The flooded area covers the size of France and Germany combined and 200,000 people have been affected.

Wendy White, who owns a clothing shop in Rockhampton, said she was worried about her merchandise and equipment as the waters rise.

“We’ve taken everything about two feet up off the floor ... my machines are above that and then everything, all my stock is stacked on that,” she said. “So it’d be a case of, if the water does come in, we’ll have to mop up before we can set up to start trading again.”

Residents have been warned to stay out of floodwaters for their own safety, the biggest risk coming from fast-moving currents powerful enough to sweep cars from roads.

Mayor Carter has also said more snakes have been spotted as they move around looking for dry ground. He has said that saltwater crocodiles have been seen in the Fitzroy River.

“We do not think they are a risk to public safety if people keep out of the waters, but if people do enter the waters their safety cannot be guaranteed,” he said.

Animal welfare worker Wendy Hilcher said fears about snakes and crocodiles were hampering her group’s efforts to rescue pets left behind by people who had left their homes in flooded areas of the city.

“It’s not just the safety aspect of getting to these places, it’s what’s in the water itself,” said Ms Hilcher, from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “If it gets too dangerous, we have to get out of there.”

A military cargo plane landed in a north of Rockhampton yesterday carrying food, water, medical supplies and other items such as nappies to keep the city stocked with necessities. The goods were trucked south to the city, or carried on barges.

Other supplies were being brought by sea from areas south of Rockhampton, where regular supply routes may be closed for days to come.

Many stores and businesses in dry parts of the city remained open. Power supplies were being severed to inundated areas for safety reasons.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said the cost associated with the flooding will likely reach many hundreds of millions, and has announced relief funding worth millions.

Rains have eased, and water levels have been dropping in some towns in Queensland. Across the state, some 1,000 people are living in evacuation centres and it may be a month before the floodwaters dry up completely.