00:00While life is getting back to normal here in Townsville, the situation about an hour
00:07and a half north at Ingham is still dire.
00:10Floodwaters have devastated the town and isolated it from the rest of North Queensland.
00:16The Herbert River remains stubbornly high, but authorities say help has started to arrive.
00:23Army helicopters have been delivering resources, including food and generators.
00:28Water supply has been re-established after it was cut off this morning.
00:33Power remains a major issue in Ingham after the local substation was inundated.
00:38Urgent assessments are underway to determine how quickly it can be brought back online.
00:43Hinchinbrook Mayor Raymond Jayo says the level of inundation has made it challenging for
00:48local authorities to act until now.
00:51We haven't been able to do anything.
00:53If there's any criticism out there that we've reacted slowly, I'm here to tell you that
00:57we couldn't.
00:58We've got no access, we've got floods, water had not receded.
01:02We've got no power, we've got no food, we've got no nothing until today.
01:07We are here.
01:08We have lots to do.
01:10We are not going anywhere until it's done.
01:13Power, water, phone, cleanliness, getting you back on your feet.
01:20The federal government says the Defence Force will help to build a temporary crossing over
01:25the next two weeks at Olara Creek on the Bruce Highway.
01:28That's a crucial road link between Townsville and Ingham that was washed away earlier this
01:33week.
01:34The Commonwealth has also announced extra financial assistance for residents who've
01:38lost income during this flood crisis.
01:41So there's been some good news today for residents, but there's still a long way to go and a lot
01:47of work to do in these hardest hit communities.
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