Residents of the NSW-Queensland border town of Mungindi say they are concerned about further flooding as water levels reached a record high this week
Rain has battered the area in the past week, with flood levels already surpassing that of the 2011 floods which saw the levee hit 7.8 metres.
Gomeroi man Glen Ellis has been working in irrigation and farming for more than 25 years expressed his concerns to NITV News.
“I mean, the water is right around Mungindi so the situation is a bit dicey at the moment but the levee is holding, but we’re not sure and no one knows what the levee can take or if it will take it I suppose," said Mr Ellis.
"The main concern for the residents here at the moment is if the levee stays intact.
“The town would be flooded if it busts open during the night, you’d have flooded houses and the water would be coming up.
“It would probably go a metre or two in the town.”
Mr Ellis has already assessed the damage of a burst levee surrounding the golf course that he said "blew yesterday on the edge of town."
His advice to residents of Mungindi was to have an emergency plan in place in case the worst should happen.
A photo taken from almost the same place just a day apart, shows a flood golf club after the levee bursted open over night. Source: Glen Ellis
However, a spokesperson from the Balonne Shire Council disagreed, and said residents had no need to be concerned about the levee.
"It's operating and it's keeping everything safe," said the spokesperson.
"There is no concern with the levee, the levee has been in operation for a number of years and it routinely protects the town from flooding.
"How long it [flooding] will last, it could be a week, maybe a little bit longer, and more will be known about that after we get reports from observations, particularly through the Bureau of Meteorology."
The spokesperson said the council's disaster management group was meeting on Friday afternoon to discuss actions for flood-affected areas.
A road completely underwater on the outskirts of Mungindi, Queensland Australia. Source: Brian Naylor.
Stranded for food
Locals also say they are stuck between a rock and a hard place, with no access to a proper grocery store because of border restrictions and road closures.
Four of the five roads that lead in and out of Mungindi have been closed due to flooding with one road open.
However, residents say they can't get across to the nearest supermarket because of tough border restrictions in place.
Mungindi's only supermarket and butcher store both burned to the ground last year, leaving residents with the only option of driving 150 kilometres to either of the next two towns.
Gomeroi man and local resident, Brian Naylon told NITV News that everyone was “a bit tense” because the only way for people to get food now is if they are fully vaccinated and meet all the requirements of getting a border pass to Queensland.
“You have to have a border pass to cross at the moment, most of the community most of them have only received their first vax and they can’t cross,” said Mr Naylon.
“We’ve had a couple of covid cases lately and because of that, they’ve become really strict at the border crossing with letting people go over.
"Most of us are missing out, like, we're cut off from Moree now and the only way to get essentials is to go to St George."
Mr Naylon said residents needed their own supermarket because they have ended up in the same situation a few times already.
“We only have a little pop-up shop here at the moment and they’ve only got limited supplies, so most of the town have to survive with what they got,” said Mr Naylon.
“We experienced this at the start of the year and that was high.
“We were cut off, we were isolated for a week and a bit and it looks like we’ll probably end up in the same boat again.”
A photo shows the water level has almost reached 7.9 metres, which is higher than the 2011 floods which saw levels reach 7.8 metres. Source: Glen Ellis.
What to expect in the coming days
The Barwon River that divides the two states is expected to peak on Friday at a level higher than that of the January 2011 floods, delivering major flooding and more road closures.
Rain is expected to continue around NSW on Friday, with heavy falls predicted on the south coast, while the north of the state could be hit with severe thunderstorms.
On Thursday, Bureau of Meteorology NSW and ACT Manager, Agata Imielska said a deepening low-pressure trough on the south coast "will produce some heavy rainfall, even torrential at times".
"We've already seen severe conditions really early, a really fast and hard start to the severe weather season, and it is expected to continue with summer expected to be wetter than normal," said Ms Imielska.
"This severe weather season is not a sprint, it's a marathon."
