Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has called on the government to scrap its multibillion-dollar National Broadband Network (NBN) to help fund the Queensland flood recovery.

With the damage bill for the recovery effort estimated to run into the billions of dollars, Mr Abbott called for government expenditure to be "reprioritised ", starting with the costly NBN.

Tony Abbott holds a press conference during a visit to Barminco mining company in Perth. Picture: Glen McCurtayne

Taxpayers are investing $27.5 billion in the telecommunications project, which will deliver high speed internet services to households across Australia.

"It is time for the government to stop spending on unnecessary projects so that it can start spending on unavoidable projects such as the reconstruction that will be needed in Queensland," he told reporters in Sydney.