Grave fears for two men lost while the cleanup and recovery effort is now in full swing in Brisbane.
A SECOND body has been discovered in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane, bringing the death toll from the Queensland floods to six.
The Toowoomba Chronicle is reporting that the body, presumed to be missing Taiwanese man Jerry Yukun, was found 300 metres from where cars were found submerged in the flooded Sandy Creek at Glen Cairn.
Police media could not confirm the reports.
Mr Yukun, 25, went missing at the same time as a Malaysian farm worker, 34, whose body was found this morning.
The men, who were in separate cars, had been travelling from Gatton to Mulgowie to start work at a farm at 5am (AEST) and are believed to have been swept off the road by floodwaters.
A white 1997 Mitsubishi Magna, which police believe was being driven by the 25-year-old Taiwanese man, was found in the area yesterday afternoon.
"We're not too sure if they were known to each other,'' a police spokesman told AAP.
Vowing to rebuild Queensland, Premier Campbell Newman announced a Flood Appeal Committee, headed by former Bligh government treasurer Terry Mackenroth.
Governor General Quentin Bryce visits Bundaberg Hospital evacuee June Roberts with Premier Campbell Newman and his wife Lisa Newman. Picture: Philip Norrish
With the magnitude of the disaster becoming apparent, Mr Newman said the destruction to Queensland had been "absolutely massive''.
He called on the support of all Queenslanders to help rebuild.
"We can do this,'' he told reporters in Brisbane today.
Those confirmed dead are a three-year-old boy who had a tree fall on him in Brisbane and three men who died in floodwaters: one south of Brisbane, one at Burnett Heads near Bundaberg, and the other near Gympie.
In worst-hit Bundaberg, which was devastated as the Burnett River peaked at a record 9.6 metres, authorities moved into recovery mode today after the floods inundated about 2000 homes and 200 businesses.
Mr Newman said soldiers were en route to the sugar-farming town where more than 7500 residents have been forced to seek refuge in evacuation shelters or with family and friends.
A man comforts his daughter on their roof as they inspect damage to their neighbourhood in Bundaberg. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
"This morning we have 120 soldiers from the Enoggera army barracks in 44 vehicles heading north to Bundaberg,'' Newman told the ABC.
More army resources were on standby to help in Bundaberg and other surrounding flood-hit communities, he added.
An ABC reporter in the town said petrol stations had run out of fuel while a helicopter and boats were resupplying some of the smaller settlements around the area that remain cut off.
Meanwhile police said three people, including two teenage girls and a 25-year-old man, had been charged with looting in the Queensland town of Gympie during flooding there.
While Brisbane escaped the worst of the floodwaters, the deluge damaged water treatment plants and Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said there were concerns parts of the city of two million could run out of water.
"There is still a very real concern that water could run out,'' he told reporters, although Newman said provisions were in place to supply bottled water to any areas affected.
A boy has died after a tree fell on him and his mother, bringing the death toll from the flood emergency to four.
Governor-General Quentin Bryce urged the nation to dig deep and donate to Queensland's flood disaster victims, during an emotional visit to Bundaberg Hospital evacuees in Brisbane.
Ms Bryce said the people of Bundaberg are facing an extreme situation and urged Australians to give all the support they can.
"Come on Australians, remember who we are, what we stand for, our generosity, our volunteerism, our care for others,'' she told reporters outside the Royal Brisbane Hospital.
In Brisbane, the key challenge in the coming days will be to maintain water supplies after the flooding forced the shutdown of two processing plants.
Stocks of bottled water have been positioned around Brisbane amid fears taps could run dry in some suburbs today.
Flooding in the Brisbane River catchment has caused major problems at water treatment plants at Mt Crosby.
The streets of Bundaberg are underwater today. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Repair crews are making some progress and have them partially running again, Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk says.
But there are fears they could break down again due to the extremely high amount of mud being carried by water feeding into the plants.
The suburbs at risk of losing mains water supply include Tarragindi, Camp Hill, Carina, Mount Gravatt, Tingalpa, Rocklea, and Oxley.
Premier Campbell Newman said supplies of bottled water have been positioned on the southside in case supplies run out.
''If any reservoir runs dry, we'll be immediately providing that for distribution to local areas,'' he told ABC television.
''This is very serious.''
Flood waters peaked at 9.53 metres in Bundaberg yesterday and began receding overnight. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
He said residents across Brisbane and Ipswich must limit water use to the necessities of drinking, bathing and cleaning until the treatment plant was back on line.
Queensland Urban Utilities says production at the Mount Crosby plant has increased, but consumption is also going up - despite the call for people to conserve water.
He said water in Brisbane was currently being drawn from three sources - the Mount Crosby plant, North Pine dam and from a southern connector pipe drawing water from areas south of the city.
He said he expected to decide by about midday whether to make the bottled water stocks available to people in at-risk suburbs.
Mr Lewis said releases from Wivenhoe dam, that would help dilute the silt in water feeding into the Mount Crosby treatment plants, would gradually help production return to normal.
But he could not say exactly when full production would resume.
The sun rises over the Burnett river in Bundaberg today. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
For more on Queensland's recovery, see The Courier Mail
There was also a big clean up task ahead in the Lockyer Valley, and particularly in the town of Laidley, Mr Newman said.
''They haven't been forgotten out there, but there is great difficulty in getting around,'' he said.
The crisis was not over, with flooding expected in Rockhampton from Friday or Saturday, Mr Newman said.
''I advise people to plan trips carefully. They won't be able to get past Rockhampton later this week.''
In Maryborough, a young man who went missing while swimming in floodwaters has been found alive and well.
Residents of these Bundaberg homes will have to wait for water to recede before they can return for a mammoth clean-up. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
He had been seen swimming between the Queensland city's courthouse and Lennox Street on Monday night.
Police said the man, whose age is not known, was found this afternoon.
There was also good news for a hiker who set off alone for a bushwalk in central Queensland.
The 36-year-old man was was found in the Mount Dalrymple area at 9.30am today.
He started a solo day trek at Mount Dalrymple on Tuesday morning, west of Mackay and police were told at 10.45pm (AEST) that he'd failed to return.
A search began at first light involving an RACQ Rescue helicopter.
A young woman cleans up debris in her Bundaberg street. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Also today police ruled out the possible drowning of a woman at Pacific Haven near Maryborough.
A witness reported seeing a woman drive into flood waters there on Sunday .
But police today said there had been no reports of anyone missing in that area.
Mr Newman toured Bundaberg on Tuesday and urged Queenslanders to aid disaster victims.
"They all need our support. We've got to reach out and help them now," he said.
WHERE TO TURN TO FOR HELP AND INFORMATION
Sisters Sandra and Michelle Dorron in Bundaberg, at the Agro Trend evacuation centre start the search for clothes. Photo Paul Beutel
NSW:
Government Flood Information
Ministry for Police and Emergency Services
NSW flood warnings
Queensland:
Guide to essential services
Tweed Valley in NSW this morning, not normally a wet area. Picture: mockingbirdcafe/Twitter
QLD flood warnings
Brisbane city council flood maps
Mr Newman also paid tribute to the resilience of residents, who in some cases have weathered four floods in three years.
About 2000 homes and 200 businesses were inundated when the river reached a record height on Tuesday afternoon.
More than 7500 displaced residents are seeking refuge in evacuation centres or with friends and family on higher ground.
"It's incredible to see the spirit of Queenslanders out on the streets of their cities and towns as they grapple with what is a big crisis."
Voluteers prepare food at temporary evacuation centre in Bundaberg. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Governor-General Quentin Bryce today will visit the valley towns of Laidley, Grantham and Withcott after spending time at a Brisbane hospital with patients evacuated from Bundaberg.
The news was better for residents of Brisbane and Ipswich in the southeast, where water levels peaked lower than expected.
Early indications are that water stayed below floorboard level in Brisbane, while about 35 homes in Ipswich had water in their living areas.
It was a world away from the disaster of January 2011.
Then, tens of thousands of homes in the southeast were inundated and Brisbane's damage bill ran into the tens of millions.
As the flood waters recede, attention will turn to the huge damage bill and recovery task.
Already 9800 insurance claims have been lodged in Queensland worth a combined $116 million, according to the Insurance Council of Australia.
The damage to infrastructure is still being assessed but it's been estimated the bill will still reach the hundreds of millions, without counting crop and livestock losses.
The Queensland Premier is urging people to donate to the government's Queensland Flood Appeal which is being coordinated with Red Cross.
Bruce Grady from Emergency Management Queensland said all efforts were underway to reach isolated communities outside the major flood-hit centres.
''While Bundaberg is the focus, we haven't forgotten about those other isolated communities,'' he told the Seven Network.
''I can assure everyone we have our best efforts in place to make sure we get to all of those communities as quickly as we possibly can.''
Bundaberg flooding is seen from space through NASA's telescope lens. Picture: Chris Hadfield/NASA/ https://twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/status/296199814838894592
Meanwhile, Mr Newman opened his wallet after a patient evacuated from flooded Bundaberg complained about the cost of hiring a TV.
Mr Newman and Governor-General Quentin Bryce spent time with evacuees at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital hospital today.
When patient Sean Crozier complained to the Premier about the $30 cost of hiring a TV, Mr Newman handed him a $50 note.
The Premier had earlier said every Queenslander must do their bit to help those affected by the state's latest disaster.
In NSW, a massive clean-up is under way in the state's north as floodwaters subside, but some communities remain cut off and townspeople and farmers are struggling without power and supplies.
State Emergency Service Clarence-Nambucca spokeswoman Sam Colwell said while the Clarence River had dropped from Tuesday's record levels, Yamba and Iluka at the river's mouth were likely to be isolated for at least two more days.
An aerial view of East Bundaberg. Picture: Paul Beutel
The SES has issued a minor flood warning along the Macintyre River for Boggabilla in northwest NSW.
The river is expected to peak at 9.7 metres today.
Bogabbilla is about 9km downstream of the Queensland town of Goondiwindi, where major flooding is occurring with levels steady at 8.6 metres.
Minor flood warnings are also in place for the Hunter River at Singleton with a peak expected around midday (AEDT).
Moderate flooding is expected at Maitland later tonight and minor flooding from the Wollombi Brook occurred at Bulga, also in the Hunter region.
Meanwhile, the SES says major flooding continues to ease along the Clarence River at Grafton and Ullmarra.
The Clarence hit 3.1 metres near Maclean and is not expected to rise further, the Bureau of Meteorology said today.
On Tuesday, the river peaked at 8.08 metres in Grafton, upstream from Maclean, the highest level in recorded history.
About 750 people evacuated from Maclean on Tuesday night have been able to return after an ''all clear'' was issued this morning.
About 2000 people were evacuated from Grafton which avoided widespread devastation with waters only two centimetres below a level expected to cause severe inundation.
There's a possibility of showers around Maclean over the next few days, but the rain isn't expected to cause further flooding, the Bureau of Meteorology told AAP.
"It does appear as though the worst of it is over," NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said.
Mr O'Farrell jointly announced with Prime Minister Julia Gillard the declaration of 10 local government disaster areas to unlock federal and state funds for flood-hit families and businesses.
The Insurance Council estimates about 2000 claims worth $10 million have already been lodged in NSW.
For more on NSW's recovery, see The Daily Telegraph
Concerns remain for some towns downstream, including Yamba, Ulmarra and Maclean, but Mr O'Farrell said he was delighted the river level had gone down to 7.95m and was still dropping.
"Now we are in recovery mode," said State Emergency Services commissioner Murray Kear, as the low-pressure system responsible for the severe flooding in Queensland and NSW moved off the coast.
NSW escaped the loss of life suffered in Queensland, although 50 people had to be rescued and 3500 called for assistance, mainly around Grafton.
Citrus growers devastated by floods
Judy Shepherd, the secretary of the Gayndah and District Fruit Growers Association, says damage in the town and surrounding fruit orchards has been catastrophic.
She said the latest flood is the third natural disaster in recent years and she's afraid many growers won't recover.
As well, some citrus orchards had been completely wiped out, parts of others had simply dropped into the Burnett River and the infrastructure damage was enormous.
''We've heard of some that have gone,'' she told ABC television.
She said the impact on the region, particularly Gayndah and Mundubbera, would be severe and long-lasting.
''Catastrophic - hundreds of millions of dollars damage just in the citrus industry,'' she said.
Chief Executive of Citrus Australia Judith Damiani says there may be a shortage of Australian lemons in supermarkets for the start of the season in February.
About 50 per cent of Australia's lemons and 60 per cent of mandarins are produced in the Burnett region.
Ms Damiani said 40 farmers in the region say their packing sheds, irrigation systems, farm equipment and homes have been seriously damaged.
The damage bill will be higher than two years ago.
Insurers blame councils for flood damage
The fight over who is to blame for the damage from the Queensland floods has begun.
The Insurance Council of Australia says the local and state governments should and could have done more to protect their communities from flooding.
Nearly 10,000 claims have been lodged and the damage bill is $116 million and rising.
Brisbane-based Suncorp, the owner of AAMI and GIO, is set to be the worst affected of the major insurance companies, already fielding about 4000 claims for flood and storm damage.
Insurance Council of Australia CEO Rob Whelan says some of the damage could have been avoided if the state and local governments had done more.
He said the state government's flood mitigation budget was not enough.
''$40 million is good but it needs way more than that,'' he told ABC's Lateline program on Tuesday.
''Let's take a levee for example, $15 million roughly to build a levee, but that may actually save that community $100 million.''
Mr Whelan singled out Brisbane and Ipswich as councils that could have done more, especially by preventing development in certain areas, or insisting that homes be built on stilts.
''Mitigation works and control of certain flood areas and prevention of development in certain areas actually will increase the overall level of protection in the community and lower the overall level of risk, which goes to the premiums and the costs,'' he said.
''If you continue to build developments on a flood plain, ultimately they're going to be affected and that's what we've been doing for the last 20, 30, 40 years.''
The comments outraged Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale, who says Mr Whelan is in for a war.
''The whole of Australia, the whole of Queensland and all of these people are hurting and you want to come in and start the blame game,'' he told ABC.
''It's very un-Australian.''
Mr Pisasale said the council had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on flood mitigation and had stringent town planning requirements.
He said he would talk to federal Financial Services Minister Bill Shorten seeking further reforms to the insurance industry.
Queensland Premier Campbell Newman doesn't have a problem with a debate about what more could be done for flood mitigation, but questioned the appropriateness of the timing of Mr Whelan's comments.
He said a statewide flood mitigation program is underway, where local government chips in $20m and the state $40m.
''We're getting on with it,'' he said.
''Would we like to put more money in? Yes.
''More needs to be done to find engineering solutions or alternative innovative solutions to protect our communities and make them more resilient.''
Mr Newman said he'd be fighting in the corner of people who are going to need insurance payouts.
But he said that although the state and local governments had chipped into the statewide flood mitigation scheme, the federal government was yet to come to the table.
He had asked the Commonwealth to contribute $40 million.
''So far we actually haven't had the federal government leaping to their feet to say, 'Hey we'll be part of this','' he said.
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