Floods cut off ‘entire road networks’ near Queensland-NT border as travellers urged to stay put

Travellers are being urged to stay put as arterial roads between the Northern Territory and Queensland are cut off by floodwater.

Emergency services have warned motorists against travelling throughout north-west Queensland, the Gulf of Carpentaria and across the Northern Territory-Queensland border as the region grapples with floods and heavy rain from ex-tropical cyclone Ellie.

The Barkly Highway is closed between the Barkly Homestead and Camooweal due to flooding and flood damage at various locations. Some road repairs will be required before the highway can be reopened.

Popular traveller hotspot The Barkly Homestead was inundated with 500mm of rain over three days, shutting down power, septic pumps and fuel bowsers at the major service centre.

“Water is knee-deep and not subsiding. As much as we would like to accommodate all the travellers trying to get to Queensland, we cannot at the moment. Please stay away until floods subside,” the homestead said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Plenty Highway is closed between Hart, in the Northern Territory, and the Queensland border.

“We’ve had some fairly heavy rainfall around the Barkly region and that all eventually makes its way down through the Georgina River system down to Boulia,” Elliott Dunn, emergency management coordinator for the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) Mount Isa district said.

“The biggest issue we’re going to have is that the entire road network in that area will be completely cut off.

“As always, if it’s flooded, forget it.”

The warning comes as a monsoon is expected to develop, bringing further widespread rain over the coming days.

“A lot of these roads are unsealed, they will be completely impassable for the next couple of weeks,” Mr Dunn said.

“So you are not going to get where you’re going. If you’re trying to drive on any of those roads around you’re just not going to get anywhere, so don’t even bother trying.

“The water will go down, the roads will dry out, but just be patient with it.”

Mr Dunn said the Barkly Highway could be expected to reopen over the coming days but that unsealed roads across the network could take weeks to dry out.

Last week, a group of five motorists were rescued after their vehicle became bogged along a flooded road in north-west Queensland.

“For at least the next 10 days, those unsealed roads are going to be impassable,” he said.