Vital transport routes across flooded North Queensland are anticipated to reopen within 48 hours, but retailers and consumers may soon face rising freight costs. From Cairns in the Far North to Mount Isa in the west, supermarket shelves are looking increasingly bare due to significant road closures and disruptions centered around Townsville.
As a crucial distribution hub for the region, Townsville has been severely impacted by the washed-away bridge just north of the city, effectively splitting the Bruce Highway in two. Hard-hit communities like Ingham and Halifax, situated between Townsville and Cairns, have had to rely on helicopters for food deliveries, while generators and fuel have been brought in by barge at the coastal hamlet of Lucinda.
With supplies dwindling, police have reported panic buying in flood-stricken Ingham. “We had to deploy four officers to Woolworths to maintain a little bit of order because people are panic buying,” said Inspector Jason Brosnan.
Gary Mahon, chief executive of the Queensland Trucking Association, revealed that trucks filled with supplies are currently positioned in southern towns like Mackay and Emerald, awaiting the reopening of routes. While disruptions are not uncommon during the wet season, this event has been particularly severe, cutting off Townsville from both the north and south along the Bruce Highway, as well as from the west at the Macrossan Bridge near Charters Towers.
“The Gregory Developmental Road, an essential inland alternative to the Bruce Highway, is also closed, limiting further detours for transport,” Mahon noted. As efforts to restore normalcy continue, the region faces the dual challenges of logistical setbacks and the potential for rising costs for essential goods.
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