Bundaberg cleans up river after major flood damage to boats and businesses

Bundaberg is three months into a major recovery operation after devastating floods left the Burnett River choked with debris and sunken vessels.

“

Each of them requires quite a detailed recovery plan, individualised for that particular vessel, and they can certainly be quite challenging, some of them, to remove from where they are.

Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) reported that approximately 40 boats were damaged or destroyed. Salvage teams have been finding vessels in unexpected places, including cane paddocks, rock walls, and remote beaches. MSQ general manager Kell Dillon described the recovery as challenging, with each boat requiring an individualized plan. "Each of them requires quite a detailed recovery plan, individualised for that particular vessel, and they can certainly be quite challenging, some of them, to remove from where they are," he said.

Of the affected vessels, 35 have been removed, and five are currently being salvaged. Some pontoons were also swept significant distances, with one found over 110 kilometers away. Dillon expressed concern that some missing pontoons could end up in shipping channels.

“

We lost our office, we lost everything in our 40-foot container, we lost all our equipment, all our tools.

Local businesses are struggling to rebound. Linda Ashworth, owner of a boat yard, reported losing her office, equipment, and tools, estimating damage at $200,000. She has taken out a loan and is applying for a small business disaster recovery grant. While 15 grants totaling about $165,500 have been approved in the region, Ashworth feels overwhelmed by the slow recovery and the ongoing threat of future floods. "It makes me not want to replace things because I don't know if the floods will come again between January and March and I'll lose everything," she said.

“

It makes me not want to replace things because I don't know if the floods will come again between January and March and I'll lose everything.