00:01The community sentiment at this point in time has been absolutely amazing.
00:06It's a strong rural community that have experienced flooding before.
00:13So the process has been relatively seamless, we feel, for those that have had inundations.
00:20Of course, at this point in time, we think possibly only one residence above floorboards.
00:27However, many businesses have been inundated and they will see a clean-up ahead of them.
00:34Can you talk to me about where you're currently at with evacuation orders?
00:38Because, I mean, you are presumably still in the thick of it.
00:42Absolutely.
00:43So just after four o'clock yesterday afternoon, we issued an emergency evacuation order for low-lying parts of Chinchilla
00:51and those that did not have power.
00:54So we opened evacuation centre at the showgrounds.
00:57Now, a lot of people actually made their way to family and friends, but around two o'clock this morning,
01:04we did get around seven people approached the evacuation centre.
01:09They've been put in accommodation.
01:12The evacuation centre is still open.
01:15The floodwaters are falling at this point in time and have fallen overnight, but we're waiting on further bomb predictions
01:23to see whether we're going to get more rises in Charlies Creek.
01:27Yeah, because that is the concern, isn't it?
01:29Charlies Creek, which runs at the top of the town, 6.4, I think it reached on Monday, currently at
01:356.1.
01:35But there is a concern that that might become higher, that peak might be breached from Monday?
01:43Yeah, absolutely.
01:45You know, it's all been about Charlies Creek.
01:48There were significant rainfall events to the north of Chinchilla.
01:52Most of that made its way into Charlies Creek.
01:55We're just a wait and see at the moment.
01:58We don't want to get too comfortable with the fact that we've seen some falls overnight.
02:02The bomb predictions that we have, the latest, are that we're still looking at that 6.8 metres, although we
02:10are hoping that that might be lowered through bomb predictions this morning.
02:17Yeah, that would be a much better outcome.
02:19Whilst you say, Andrew, that you're in a wait and see, how should residents be preparing and what are authorities
02:26doing?
02:27Where are they focusing their efforts?
02:30Look, the support from emergency services and the council team has been absolutely amazing.
02:37We've had QBS, SES, Queensland Fire Department and council team members on the ground for days now.
02:45So that side of things has been absolutely amazing.
02:48It is a little bit of a wait and see for all.
02:51So we're just making sure that we've got all of our ducks in a row, so to speak, because we're
02:59not sure whether we are going to see more rises.
03:02But people, I guess, mentally are preparing now for the clean-up.
03:08We really thank you for your time and wish you all the very best over today and the ensuing days.
03:13Mayor of Western Downs Regional Council, Andrew Smith, thank you.
03:17Thank you, Catherine.
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