FLOODING UPDATE #15 – 6pm 6 March 2020

Food and medical supplies have been delivered to the isolated town of Dirranbandi and the highway from Noondoo to Dirranbandi opened. The Castlereagh Highway between Dirranbandi and Hebel remains closed.

Balonne Shire Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) chairman Richard Marsh said floodwaters were still impacting the Dirranbandi-Bollon Road.

“The floodwaters at Hebel are expected to peak at 2.2m (major flood level) on Saturday,” he said. “The water at Hebel was 2.15m and slowly rising at 3.15pm.

“Flooding at Dirranbandi is continuing to ease and expected to fall over the weekend to below minor flood heights.”

The Mayor said rainfall in the region overnight had resulted in rises in Wallam Creek and this may cause the creek to reach minor flood level at Bollon over the weekend.

“Creek rises are also likely in Mungallala Creek over the weekend.”

He said LDMG had agreed to lift the emergency declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA) covering private watercraft on the Balonne River.

“We advise private watercraft users to stay 200m away from the Jack Taylor Weir for their own safety,” the Mayor said.

“SunWater will replace the safety buoys back in place on the river when they are able.”

The LDMG will remain at stand-up status until floodwaters begin receding at Hebel and will meet again at 9am on Monday (9/3/2020).

For more information visit www.bom.gov.au; and/or www.sunwater.com.au.  For assistance contact the State Emergency Service on 132 500.  For local road closures visit https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au/ or phone 13 19 40.  Dial 000 in an emergency.