This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A man remains missing in flood waters in north Queensland as police continue to search the area.

The 35-year-old Townsville man was one of three on board a boat at Groper Creek when it crashed into a submerged jetty close to Hinkson Esplanade about 5.35pm on Friday.

Two men were thrown into the water, while the third was pulled to safety.

Floods, fire and drought: Australia, a country in the grip of extreme weather bingo Read more

One went under and was not seen again, while the other swam to safety and was treated for facial injuries and possible spinal injuries.

Water police, swift water rescue crews, a helicopter and other local vessels resumed the search on Saturday but failed to locate the missing man.

Police said the murky floodwaters made the search difficult but that authorities were not giving up hope.

Rainfall in the state’s north eased into the weekend as the monsoonal trough, which dumped more than a year’s rain on large swathes of north and western Queensland, pushed further offshore.

Residents in flood-ravaged Townsville enjoyed patchy sunshine on Saturday, with further fine weather and warm temperatures giving waterlogged homes a chance to dry out over the next week.

More than 12,800 insurance claims amounting to more than $160m have been lodged by residents and businesses in the Townsville region.

Play Video 0:59 Timelapse shows train line engulfed by rising flood waters – video

However, the financial impact on farmers in the state’s interior may not be known for weeks as rural communities from Longreach to Charters Towers, and north to Kowanyama on Cape York Peninsula, remained surrounded by floodwaters.

Townsville flood inquiry announced, as up to 300,000 cattle die in western Queensland Read more

Drought-stricken graziers, who are estimated to have lost a staggering 300,000 head of cattle, have been using helicopters to find their surviving cattle isolated on high-ground.

Some graziers have reported seeing piles of up to 500 head of dead cattle piled up in paddock corners after becoming weakened and disoriented.

The federal government has opened up grant funding, and the state government on Saturday extended its disaster assistance to several more local government areas, as well as primary producers in Winton.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned the flood waters in the north west could take days to recede.

The Queensland’s deputy premier and treasurer, Jackie Trad, invited insurers and the Insurance Council of Australia to meet her in Townsville on Friday after media reports that claimants who had lost their insurance documents were not being paid out.

“Some of the assessments have been very brash and on the spot, rather than allowing residents and households to compile the information and have a conversation with the insurance companies and claim assessors,” Trad told reporters on Saturday.

“[But households] are doing it tough right now. They want compassion, and they want a responsive organisation that understands that they are going through a traumatic event.”

More than 12,800 insurance claims amounting to more than $160m have been lodged by residents and businesses in the Townsville region.

Trad said more than 500 government buildings, including schools and social housing, had been affected.



