12:52pm UK, Thursday December 30, 2010

Michael Burgess, Sky News Online

Flooding in Australia’s rural northeast has forced hundreds of people to flee their homes as the situation goes from bad to worse.

Officials have warned the flooding could last for weeks, as fears of food shortages and disease outbreaks in the area have forced more than 1,000 residents to be evacuated.

One town, Condamine, has seen 100 residents air-lifted to safety, joining 1,000 who had already left, while thousands more prepared for the worst in the centres of Bundaberg, Emerald and Rockhampton.

Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh, said the state was facing its “toughest hour” and described the flooding as “a miserable and heartbreaking event”.

Bligh added: “This is a disaster on an unprecedented scale. What we’ve never seen is so many towns, so many communities, so many regions affected at once.”

Emergency workers rescue a resident from the floods in Queensland, Australia

The situation is only expected to get worse, with 80% of Emerald expected to be flooded after a nearby river reached record levels, while the region of Bundaberg has been split in two by the rising water.

Other problems facing the region include contaminated sewage and rotting animal carcasses, as well as the risk of mosquitoes breeding in large pools.

Acting Mayor of Banana Shire, Maureen Clancy, said: “One of the main reasons everyone had to evacuate was the water, sewage and the health risks.”

The cost of damage to the region is expected to run to several billions of dollars, with officials warning that the flooding may not recede for another 10 days.

Flooding in Australia leaves a lone wallaby stranded

Premier Bligh said the clean up could take weeks. “We’ve got a long way to go ahead of us and when these waters recede, that is when we’re really going to know the size of the problem,” she said.

Large parts of the state have been declared natural disaster areas, with flooding causing extensive damage to infrastructure and local produce.

The state has also warned about wildlife in the area affected by the flooding, with bull sharks and crocodiles being flushed out of rivers and into popular swimming and surfing spots.