QLD:Leaders rush in as minor flood hits town

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2012
QLD:Leaders rush in as minor flood hits town

BRISBANE, Feb 1 AAP - A Queensland town is in the full glare of the election spotlight
as both leaders rush there to offer their support after a handful of properties flooded.

Premier Anna Bligh and Liberal National Party leader Campbell Newman will meet locals
in Charleville on Wednesday, where flood waters peaked on Tuesday well below forecasts.

Bradleys Gully, in the southwest Queensland town, reached a peak of 2.1 metres, well
shy of the predicted 2.9m.

Murweh Mayor Mark O'Brien said forecasters had given locals plenty of warning and the
flood event could have been much worse.

Just over a year ago, Mr Newman, then lord mayor of Brisbane, and Ms Bligh were working
side by side as Brisbane and Ipswich flooded.

Both will be hoping their Charleville visits will remind voters of their leadership
during the 2011 crisis.

Karen McLennan, who had about half a metre of water through her auto repair shop, said
that if the leaders were serious about helping they would fix the cause of the town's
ongoing flood woes.

"I don't know what other people think but its a non-event to me," she said of the leaders'
visits.

"It doesn't make any difference to me, nothing changes. We're still in the same boat every time.

"They could finish the job properly they were supposed to do, which was build a levee
bank and divert the gully."

Ms Bligh was due to address the media at 9am (AEST) after attending a disaster management
group meeting.

Mr Newman will tour the town with sitting Warrego LNP member Howard Hobbs.

AAP dac/tnf/mjs

KEYWORD: POLLQLD CHARLEVILLE

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