FLOODWATERS are receding and a massive cleanup is underway in Maryborough on Queensland’s Fraser Coast.
About 100 homes and 40 businesses were inundated by mud and debris after flooding peaked on Sunday night.
Maryborough’s CBD was largely saved from a flooding disaster after 12 pumps were brought in after a penstock gate designed to shut off the city’s stormwater system failed, allowing floodwater to travel upstream through stormwater pipes.
The system failure meant a levee running along city streets and through the grounds of the city’s St Mary’s Church was not able to do its job.
While the 150-year-old church was high and dry, a street-level garage on the church grounds was flooded, and water nearly reached the church office and presbytery.
Parish priest Fr Lucius Edomobi said power remained off and he had been forced to cancel Mass on Wednesday.
“It has been three days now without power,” Fr Edomobi said.
The parish priest, who transferred to Maryborough from Caboolture six months ago, said he had been relying on St Mary’s parishioners for support.
On Monday Fr Lucius and long-time parishioner Wolfgang Waerner cleaned mud from the church garage and reported minimal damage.
“The secret is to clean it up while it’s still wet,” Mr Waerner, who has experienced three major floods during more than 20 years living in Maryborough, said.
“And that’s what we did. By the time I got there he (Fr Edomobi) was already geared up and was right in the middle of washing out the garage and so one scrapped while the other one used the hose and vice versa.”
Mr Waerner said flood damage in Marborough could have been much worse if the Fraser Coast Council had not acted quickly to pump water from the streets.
“Like someone said to me a few days ago – at least with water you’ve got something to rebuild, but with a bushfire there’s nothing left behind,” he said.
However, receding flood waters have exposed the staggering damage to key routes and in out of the Wide Bay region.
Fraser Coast Council has set up a relief centre catering for families evacuated from their homes.
Mr Waerner said church agencies would swing into action once the floodwaters had receded and families could return to their properties.
“That’s when St Vincent de Paul will get into action and maybe supply furniture and other things that are needed,” Mr Waerner said.
