Flood recovery aid for South West Queensland residents affected by Cyclone Yasi and the floods will still be available with more than $5 million in personal hardship assistance payments already made.

"We'll be redeploying staff members who have been working at the centre to other roles where they can continue to help people affected by the floods and by Cyclone Yasi,” said Community Services Minister Karen Struthers. "The important thing is help will still be available to residents with outreach teams out and about in the community and our Community Recovery Line continuing to operate."

“People will still be able to apply for hardship payments, essential household contents grants and structural assistance grants.” Struthers said local residents’ needs were changing from emergency grants for essentials to inspections and assessments of their damaged homes.

North Queensland roads have been affected on the wake of Cyclone Yasi, flooding the Bruce Highway and many feeder roads. Many roads are still submerged in water and will be opened once the waters have receded and the roads inspected.

Mackay to Clermont along the Gregory Developmental Road to Charters Towers and from there to Townsville are still passable but the Bruce north of Townsville is cut in a number of places.

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