NO WAY THROUGH
Far North stranded for days after flooding cuts freight routes
RESIDENTS have been urged to prepare for potential fresh food shortages as freight routes into Cairns succumb to major flooding.
A monsoonal trough drenching Townsville and surrounding areas is likely to leave the Far North stranded for days to come with highways closed, railway lines washed away and supermarket shelves already becoming bare.
Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford expected fresh produce to become a hot commodity unless delivery trucks could find a way through. “Everything is cut,” he said. “I think we’re going to see that transport network challenged for another three or four days yet.”
THE Far North will have to dig into its pantry stockpiles with flooded highways expected to cut-off the region’s freight routes for days to come.
Townsville has been stranded from the north and south, severing Cairns and other towns to the north from their chief supply routes.
Blenners Transport director Les Blennerhassett has hundreds of staff at a standstill.
“Everything’s parked up at the moment – we’re not moving anything,” he said.
“There’s nothing going south and nothing coming north as of Saturday.
“We’re servicing Rocky and Mackay out of Brisbane, but that’s as far north as we can.
“We need the Government to look at raising some bridges and flood-free highways so we can actually get some fresh food into Cairns.”
Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford believed the highway closures would play out for some time and were likely to affect food stock.
Rail lines have also washed out in several spots.
“The issue for Cairns going to be supply,” he said.
“It’s probably going to take its toll by about Wednesday.
“Things just aren’t going to get through unless by air or barge.”
Sea Swift CEO Fred White said he would make ships available if the roads situation became too much to endure.
“It’s really down to the supRESIDENTS is pliers or customers whether they want to do it,” he said.
The isolation is already affecting fresh food supply but Olly’s Friendly Grocer Bella Vista manager Ian Lidman expected to weather the storm.
“We had deliveries due on Thursday, now they’re not expecting them until Wednesday – but who knows?” he said.
“Fortunately, we use a lot of local produce so we shouldn’t run low on fresh food.”
Machans Beach Store and Post manager Mark Biney said the service station’s fuel reserves were expected to last.
“But give it a week and we’ll see what happens,” he said.
Woolworths had five delivery trucks en route to Cairns parked in Ingham waiting for tidal flooding to subside yesterday afternoon.
“Road situations have been challenging and we are looking at every avenue possible to get stock into our stores …,” Woolworths Northern Queensland operations manager Tina Anandji said.