Bligh sheds tears for shattered state

The death toll from Queensland's heartbreaking floods has reached 15, with an
emotional premier warning the state faces a reconstruction task of post-war
proportions.
Three more men were added to the growing list of victims on Thursday, leaving three
more Queensland families to grieve.
Authorities hold grave fears for another 12 people - 11 of them missing from the
Lockyer Valley community of Murphys Creek, and most of those 11 from just two
families.
An exhausted Premier Anna Bligh shed tears on Thursday, overwhelmed by the scale of
death and destruction that has swept three quarters of the sprawling state.
"As we weep for what we have lost, and as we grieve for family and friends and we
confront the challenge that is before us, I want us to remember who we are," she
said, her voice cracked with emotion.
"We are Queenslanders. We're the people that they breed tough, north of the border.
We're the ones that they knock down, and we get up again."
In Brisbane, floodwaters kept their grip on city residents throughout the day after
a lower than expected peak of 4.46 metres hit with the high tide at 4am (AEST),
leaving 11,900 homes and 2500 businesses flooded.
A further 14,700 homes and 2500 businesses have been partially affected.
At Ipswich, to the west, waters receded more quickly, leaving residents to
contemplate the recovery task ahead, with 3000 homes flooded, and businesses in the
CBD inundated.
Amid warnings from the premier that some residents may not be able to return home
for months, concerns have emerged about widespread looting.
A task force of 200 police, codenamed Operation Safeguard, will patrol
flood-affected properties in Brisbane and Ipswich to guard against predatory
criminals.
"That will give us a good spread and a sufficient spread of police and patrol
vehicles to maintain a 24/7 patrol presence in every one of the flood-affected
localities in Brisbane and Ipswich for several weeks," Police Commissioner Bob
Atkinson said.
He said there'd been few instances of looting so far, but police would not take any
chances.
Ms Bligh urged all Queenslanders to put their hands up to join the recovery effort
and get the state back on its feet after the worst natural disaster in its history,
with 70 cities and towns affected by flooding.
"As we look across our state we've seen three-quarters of our state having
experienced the devastation of raging floodwaters, and we now face a reconstruction
task of post-war proportions," the premier said.
With the defence force and the coroner only now getting a proper look at the
worst-affected communities in the Lockyer Valley, including Grantham, Murphys Creek
and Withcott, more bodies will certainly be found.
All cars swept away during Monday's inland tsunami have now been searched at
Grantham, with police relieved that no more bodies were found.
Crews have gone into some houses, but the damage is so severe that machinery has
been brought in to see if bodies are trapped underneath.
"I am sure we, as we go through this process of meticulously searching some of the
very isolated areas and remote farm houses, buildings that have collapsed and
waterways, unfortunately will receive more bad news in relation to victims of this
very tragic event," state disaster co-ordinator Ian Stewart said.
Authorities are increasingly concerned that the border town of Goondiwindi will be
the next flashpoint of the three-week flood disaster, with fears the Macintyre River
will breach the town's levee.