“An explosion of water” has hit Far North-West Queensland’s remote Gulf communities, with some residents facing potential isolation for another two months, Member for Traeger Robbie Katter said.

The Katter’s Australian Party leader was commenting after a visit on Friday to affected areas along with Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter.

The extensive flooding saw Burke Shire Council issue an emergency alert today to residents in Burketown.

It called for all remaining residents to leave Burketown immediately, particularly elderly and those with children, as sewerage systems and power systems went down. The last evacuation flights were leaving this afternoon.

The Katters visited Normanton and Doomadgee on Friday to assess the situation, saying calls for disaster funding relief and additional food supplies had not been sufficiently acted on by the State Government.

They said they had taken essential groceries including bread, long-life milk and eggs with them, as prices in local supermarkets had been soaring with limited supply trickling in for almost three months.

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At Normanton, the Gulf Development Road at the Norman River had been cut off since January, however trucks with supplies were still able to access the eastern side (Cairns side) of the river, about 15 minutes from town, they said. Local volunteers along with SES had established a barge system to boat goods across the flooding.

Meanwhile, some trucks were accessing town “the long way” using Burke Development Road, which links Normanton and Cloncurry.

Further west, Burketown and Doomadgee have been completely cut off by road, with the latter isolated since “late December” and many local roads in the main township still under water.

“Groceries are lean on the shelves, there’s limited fuel for rescue helicopters and we need Category D (disaster) declarations up there so we can get some funding,” Robbie Katter said.

“It’s a long way from the cities, but it’s an important part of the world, and there’s people crying out for help”.

Bob Katter called for greater operational government emergency services in the remote region.

“Every year they leave the emergency helicopters in Brisbane, well that’s 3000km away,” he said.

“It would be like leaving your emergency helicopters in Moscow, when you’ve got a problem in London.

“Our health services are bad enough for people in our regional cities like Townsville, but my blackfella cousins out there… well they’ve got no all-weather access in or out of their town. If someone breaks a leg outside the limited airstrips that are working up there, too bad, so sad.”

Mr Katter said he appreciated the response of the Federal Minister for Emergency Services, Murray Watt, and his office, which had been incredibly responsive to requests for information and had agreed to deploy the army, upon request from the state.

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The State Government announced on Friday that financial, housing and emotional support was now available to residents across the Burke Shire impacted by recent heavy rainfall and flooding.

People in this region, who are experiencing financial hardship as a result of the flooding may be eligible for financial assistance, including Emergency Hardship Assistance grants of up to $180 per person and $900 for a family of five.

People who are experiencing hardship due to the floods can find more information or apply for grants by visiting www.qld.gov.au/DisasterHelp or by calling the Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349.

Photos: Main image above – A Queensland Police Service photo from Burketown, which is being evacuated. Below: Doomedgee main road – supplied by Katter’s Australian Party.