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Residents paddle past a flooded house in the Brisbane suburb of Saint Lucia - Source: Reuters -
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tvnz.co.nz follows developments as Queensland faces its worst floods in a century. All updates in New Zealand time.
Find out how to donate to the Queensland Flood Victims here .
11.30pm Two men in a dinghy have
pulled off a dramatic rescue on the swollen Brisbane River after a
yacht capsized tonight, plunging its two occupants into the
water. Queensland Police said the pair were lucky to escape
serious injury after the yacht broke its moorings just after 8.30pm
began floating at speed down the river. It then hit a
submerged object, tearing a hole in the bottom and eventually
tipping, throwing the men into the water. Before water police
were able to arrive, they were pulled to safety by another two men
who were passing by in a 12-foot dinghy. The two men on the
yacht, aged 51 and 40, escaped with cuts and bruises, prompting
police to issue a reminder for people to exercise extreme caution
while out on the river.
11.06pm:
While flood waters are expected to recede in many
areas overnight, there are warnings that the death toll could rise
as search and rescue teams enter more badly affected areas. 15
people have currently been confirmed as killed by the floods, but
61 more are missing. The town of Goondiwindi is on high alert with
fears river levels may breach the town's levees.
10.55pm: Social media is increasingly being used in times of disaster to share information on what is happening. The Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal has launched a Facebook page, Premier Anna Bligh has become a top trending topic on Twitter after her emotional press conference, and videos by flood victims are being shared online like Greg's video diary.
10:51pm: Sixty schools across Queensland have been significantly damaged, among other education facilities. Authorities are looking to ensure the Queensland school term still starts on time.
10.45pm: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh is urging people to stop donating material goods, as the resources are not in place to sort them. Those wanting to help out are asked to donate money instead.
10.39pm: Police are appealing for relatives who have located people they registered as missing to report them as being found.
10.26pm: Goondiwindi is well and truly in the spotlight, with Anna Bligh saying "The people of Goondiwindi will no doubt be wondering whether they'll be the next to see raging floodwaters." The Macintyre River is predicted to peak overnight.
10.18pm: 61 people have been airlifted out of Goondiwindi from nursing homes and the hospital and the local council has set up evacuation centres on higher ground with adequate provisions for people in the town. Anna Bligh says the precautions are all necessary as there is a very small margin of error between the predicted river height and Goondiwindi's levees. The peak is expected to last around 24 hours.
10.15pm: Former Australian prime minister Minister Kevin Rudd has recommended the skipper of a tug boat that steered a 300-tonne piece of debris clear of Brisbane's major bridge be awarded an Order of Australia. Queensland Premier Anna Bligh dubbed the vessel "the little tug that could".
10.07pm: Queensland's vital supply line - the Bruce Highway - will reopen tomorrow, after two weeks of closure during the flooding.
10.00pm: There are currently more than 500 defence force personnel helping to deal with the flood crisis. 19 helicopters and several planes are also involved in the search and rescue effort.
9.56pm: Thousands of people are lining the banks of the Brisbane River as water levels continue to recede.
9.53pm: Electricians in Brisbane are warning safety inspections could take up to six months given the huge demand they are faced with. Around 103,000 people are still without power.
9.45pm: Many bank branch and ATM networks in south-east Queensland remain closed as the major banks joined the rest of corporate Australia in disaster recovery efforts and customer relief today.
9.34pm: In many areas emergency services are now able to fan out over large areas as flood waters slowly recede.
9.29pm: Mental health specialists are warning many flood victims will experience extreme emotional scarring and find it difficult to rebuild their lives.
9.21pm: Authorities and emergency services remain on tenterhooks in Goondiwindi, with uncertainty over just how high the water will rise, and whether or not the levees will be breached.
9.15pm: Some public transport services will return to normal in Brisbane as flood waters recede. Buses will operate on a Sunday timetable tomorrow and rail services will be running in and out of the CBD as safety allows. However, ferries are at least weeks away from use after extensive damage to terminals along the river.
9.08pm: Drinking water has dropped to critically low levels in Lockyer Valley. 13 trucks are making non-stop runs to drop safe water into the reservoirs.
8.55
Scientists today said
climate
change has likely intensified the monsoon rains that have triggered
record floods in Queensland - and they say there are several months
of heavy rain and storms still to come.
8.50pm Structural engineers have inspected a
number of bridges to check their integrity and given the all-clear
on the Gateway Bridge. They have also checked buildings around the
city to ensure their foundations are sound and they say large
buildings will not be affected by the flood.
8.40pm: Elderly residents have been evacuated from low-lying areas in Goondiwindi, as fears increase that the town's levees will be breached by a flooded Macintyre River. Other residents in low lying areas have also been asked to move to higher ground as a precautionary measure, in a situation the town's mayor has described as "too close to call". However, the ABC is reporting that the expected peak has been revised downwards, and Goondiwindi may escape flooding.
8.34pm: Brisbane is starting to think about the huge task of rebuilding, with the worst of the flood crisis now believed to be behind them. The Brisbane River was expected to surge again tonight, but has instead continued to recede.
8.30pm: One of Australia's richest men, Queensland mining giant Clive Palmer, has used his private helicopter to pluck 60 people from treacherous floodwaters in and around his horse stud.
8.23pm: People in Ipswich are being urged to exercise extreme caution before re-entering their homes, as an extensive clean up gets underway.
8.15pm: There are still grave fears held for 12 people missing from Murpheys Creek in Lockyer Valley, most of whom are from just two families.
8.09pm: Australia is not accepting search and rescue assistance from other countries, with the federal government saying it is a world leader in disaster management and is better off managing the crisis with the system it has.
8.00pm: The Brisbane River won't reach the 5.2 metre level feared tonight.
7.55pm: ONE News reporter Donna Marie Lever says she and the TVNZ crew are heading to more remote towns now to see what damage has been done. "It's tough going on the roads trying to find a way through. Hope to get there in daylight."
7.52pm: The supply link between Brisbane and Queensland's major regional centres is about reopen as floodwaters recede at Gympie and Rockhampton. Authorities reopened the Bruce Highway at Gympie this afternoon with the highway also expected to reopen at Rockhampton soon.
7.47pm: Australian cricketer Shane Watson , who is from the flood-ravaged town of Ipswich, says the events in Queensland have given him a new perspective on life, making cricket appear "inconsequential".
7.42pm: Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the "true grit" recovery phase of the flood disaster in Queensland will be the biggest test for state and federal authorities. His comments came as Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced more military resources in the effort to deal with Queensland's worst natural disaster.
Read more of what's been said today here .
7.33pm: Queensland rugby league legend Wally Lewis has joined the flood relief effort. He was driving past a Brisbane house today and joined several strangers helping people clear their home, which was close to being inundated with flooding.
7.28pm: The Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal has reached $45,488,444 - an increase of nearly $10 million from yesterday.
7.22pm: One marooned Brisbane resident has described seeing her neighbourhood swallowed by floodwaters as "chaos" followed by "dead calm".
7.14pm: The Queensland floods have forced the New Zealand Earthquake Commission to close its Brisbane call centre. Claims as a result of the Christchurch earthquake are not lodged with the centre, but it does deal with all paper work from inspections in the field, as well as payments.
7.09pm: Electricity remains cut off to around 103,000 properties. Earlier in the day 125,000 houses and businesses were without power. Authorities aim for that number to be reduced to 30,000 by tomorrow night.
7.03pm: Concern is also mounting over low water supplies in the reservoirs in Lockyer Valley. They supply around 10,000 people with water. Premier Anna Bligh said water trucks will drive in and supply water directly to the reservoirs 24/7 until water treatment plants can be repaired.
6.59pm: Police have confirmed the 15th person to die in the flooding was found in a motor vehicle, but have provided no further details.
6.54pm: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says they are very concerned about the area of Gondawindi, where flooding is expected to reach record levels later tonight. Water levels are predicted to peak at 10.85 metres, with the town of 6000 surrounded by a levee bank 11 metres high. Bligh said they are urgently assessing water levels.
6.48pm: Police say a search and rescue operation in the Lockyer Valley is ongoing.
6.42pm: Police have completed an examination of the area around a bridge in Grantham where reports were emerging of bodies trapped in cars. They say no bodies were found and that the area has been searched thoroughly. The death toll remains at 15.
6.31pm: The Darling Downs town of Condamine has been completely evacuated ahead of an expected river peak of 14.8 metres this weekend.
6.20pm: Brisbane's Lord Mayor, Campbell Newman, has said the council will throw every resource at returning Brisbane to normal after the flooding subsides. The mammoth clean-up may take months.
6.10pm: The Brisbane River is expected to peak again around 7.00pm (NZT).
6.00pm: Some good news is emerging from Queensland: The State Library building has escaped damage and its collection is safe.
5.48pm: One Lockyer Valley resident has told ABC in Australia that that a few stumps are the only evidence people had lived on some of the properties. Phillip Bloomfield said houses no longer stood in parts of Murphy's Creek where several people lost their lives.
5.36pm: Some of the world's top tennis players have announced they will play in an exhibition match to raise money for the victims of the flooding. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Lleyton Hewitt, Sam Stosur and Pat Rafter will all take part in the Rally for Relief on Sunday at the Rod Laver Arena.
5. 32pm: Brisbane River is expected to fall to 3.2 metres by Friday morning. Its peak this morning was around one metre less than the levels in the 1974 floods.
5.23pm: Power remains cut to more than 120,000 homes and businesses in Queensland.
5.12pm: There are 61 people still missing in Queensland, with grave fears held for 12 of them.
5.03pm: The Brisbane River is expected to rise to 4.2 metres later this afternoon. It is currently at 3.9 metres after peaking at 4.5 metres around 7.00am (NZT).
4.59pm: Search and rescue efforts are currently focussing on the Lockyer Valley. More than 200 people are involved with the search.
4.51pm: The police taskforce, named Operation Safeguard, will operate for several weeks.
4.46pm: The death of a man in Myall Creek near Dalby has taken the toll from the Queensland flooding to 15.
4.44pm: US director James Cameron says his heart is going out to the people of Queensland whose lives have been devastated by this week's "horrific" floods.
4.40pm: A police taskforce of 200 officers is being set up to maintain a 24/7 patrol presence in Brisbane and Ipswich to prevent looting. Half of those will be Queensland officers and they will be briefed on Monday, when the flooding is expected to have receded. They will focus on protecting homes too damaged by flooding to be re-entered.
4.31pm: ABC in Australia is reporting that Brisbane River's water levels are decreasing, but are expected to rise again at high tide.
4.26pm: In Ipswich 3000 homes and businesses throughout the CBD remain inundated. Levels have fallen below 18 metres, after peaking at 19.5 metres.
4.18pm: Firefighters are expected to lead the recovery effort in Rockhampton, as floodwaters finally ebb in the central Queensland city.
4.08pm: The southern Queensland town of Dalby is facing the possibility of a water shortage, after warnings its water treatment plant may be shut down this afternoon. It comes after the flood height for the Condamine River was revised up to 10.6 metres. A shut down would leave the town with just four days worth of drinking water.
4.03pm: The New South Wales government has announced another 186 emergency personnel from the state will be sent to help in the Queensland flood crisis. They will include police officers, paramedics and State Emergency Service (SES) workers.
3.55pm: Brisbane is going to be split into five sectors as authorities go about their recovery efforts. Brisbane Lord Mayor, Campbell Newman, said councils would be assigned the five sectors and be responsible for assessing damage.
3.50pm: ONE News reporter Melissa Stokes, who is in Brisbane, says they are facing a "very surreal sight". She has been in a dinghy in one of the suburbs and said the people on board had to duck under powerlines due to the water being level with the street signs.
3.45pm: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh is warning Queenslanders that they face a reconstruction effort of "post-war proportions".
3.25pm: Cricket Australia has donated $100,000 to the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal.
3.17pm: Floodwaters from the Brisbane River are charging into a massive foundation pit dug for a new highrise in the heart of the CBD. However, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says there is no threat to surrounding buildings.
3.10pm: Police are appealing for people to stay away from the Ipswich CBD and other flood affected areas. They say sightseers are putting themselves and others at risk.
2.50pm: Plans are underway to send a second civil defence response team from New Zealand to Queensland. Emergency Management director John Hamilton said the second team should be ready by the middle of next week.
2.43pm: The man who lost his life in Brisbane had been checking his father's property in the Durack suburb. He was sucked into a storm drain.
2.42pm: A child who went missing earlier in West End suburb of Brisbane has been found safe and well.
2.38pm: The death toll from the floods has risen to 14. The 24-year-old male victim was the first to have lost their life in Brisbane.
2.32pm: New Zealand may be asked to provide engineers to help with assessing structural damage once floodwaters recede, Prime Minister John Key says.
2.30pm: Queensland will move from the adrenalin stage of recovery to the true grit stage where the going will get tough, says Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.
2.20pm: Nearly 12,500 residential and commercial properties have had power restored in Brisbane. More than 112,000 customers are still without power.
2.18pm: Heavy rains have forced the closure of roads in eastern Tasmania, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting flash flooding across the state. The town of St Helens was worst hit, with police closing the Tasman Highway.
2.11pm: Accounts have been opened at ANZ and The National Bank to take donations for the flood relief. Donations can be made at bank branches or online.
2.06pm: The Sir Leo Hielscher Bridge across the Brisbane River is safe and can withstand massive impacts during the floods, Roads Minister Craig Wallace said. Designers had mapped an endless range of scenarios about objects hitting the bridges, including a runaway 70,000 tonne ship.
2.04pm: Roads Minister Craig Wallace has urged people not to treat Brisbanes worst floods since 1974 like a tourist attraction. Dozens of people arriving in their cars to rubberneck at the devastation are creating further waves of water.
2.01pm: Queensland Police say they are being inundated with calls about people in boats dicing with death with live overhead lines.
1.51pm: Lance Armstrong, the seven times Tour de France champion, has pledged on his Twitter page to give $50,000 to the flood relief fundraising.
1.44pm: Residents forced to leave their homes in the NSW border towns of Boggabilla and Toomelah have been reassured by police their property and belongings will be protected.
1.32pm: The impact of the flooding could wipe A$13 billion (NZ$17 billion) from the Australia economy, a central bank economist has warned.
1.30pm: Floodwater from the Brisbane River is surging into a massive foundation pit dug for a new highrise in the heart of Brisbane.
1.28pm: South Australians are preparing for flash flooding in the northeast of the state. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for people in the northeast pastoral, Riverland and Flinders districts for today.
1.24pm: Staff in the evacuation centre at the RNA Showgrounds in Brisbane have been inundated with donations and volunteers. Police praised the level of support and said no more volunteers were required.
1.16pm: "I don't think anything can prepare us for what we might see in the Lockyer Valley," Anna Bligh has warned. "We all need to brace ourselves for further difficult news to hear."
1.14pm: There are now 70 towns and cities that have been affected by the flood crisis. "The ripple effect of this event cannot be underestimated," Bligh says.
1.12pm: Premier Anna Bligh mentions New Zealand Prime Minister John Key during her praise of people who have offered support for the flood relief effort.
1.08pm: There are 11,900 Brisbane homes that have been flooded across the whole of the property, while 14,700 homes have had partial inundation.
1.04pm: Anna Bligh has urged people to conserve drinking water. She said "it will take some days to sink in what has happened to our city". Major arterial routes for food supply and links to CBD will be the priority of the recovery.
1.03pm: The tug boat driver who stopped a 300 metre long concrete walkway, weighing 300 tonnes, from crashing into anything on the Brisbane River "saved lives", Premier Anna Bligh said.
1.01pm: Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart has warned of more "bad news" regarding fatalities. The Channel Nine report about bodies in cars at Grantham has not been confirmed at a press conference.
12.58pm: A tearful Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has said the floods will not break the will of the Queensland people. "As we grieve for what we have lost...I want us to remember who we are..we are Queenslanders. We are the ones they breed tough north of the border."
12.55pm: Power may not be reconnected in some Brisbane suburbs for many days. Power will be reconnected from today in the areas where sub-stations were not affected by water.
12.51pm: A major search and rescue mission is underway in the Lockyer Valley in south east Queensland.
12.47pm: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says a 13th flood victim has been confirmed after a body was found in a field near Grantham.
12.42pm: The Wivenhoe Dam, 80km north-west of Brisbane, is currently at 187%, and is dropping gradually with the controlled release of water through all five gates.
12.37pm: Farmers hope they will be able to start moving up to two thousand pallets of fresh produce sitting in cold storage at Bundaberg later today. The food is destined for Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, but with Bundaberg still isolated, all that farmers can do at the moment is wait.
12.29pm: Police say the death toll from the floods remains at 12 and that reports of more bodies being found are incorrect.
12.25pm: Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop says she is feeling apprehensive about heading into the shattered community of Grantham which has been torn apart by flash flooding.
12.20pm: A flood crisis meeting is currently underway in Brisbane. A media briefing is expected within the next 20 minutes.
12.13pm: Channel Nine reports that 30 cars with bodies inside have been found washed under a bridge in the small town of Grantham, 100 kilometres west of Brisbane,
12.09pm: Public transport to and from Brisbane Airport is available but limited, according to the latest report. Airtrain Gold Coast service is still running but only to the Yeerongpilly suburb.
12.06pm: The international and domestic terminals at Brisbane Airport are open. Car parks and roads are all clear of water and operating.
12.04pm: Police are investigating a possible thirteenth death in the Queensland floods.
11.49am: The water level has nearly reached the height of the crossbar of the football goals in Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium.
11.45am: NZ Foreign Affairs is advising people with concerns about Kiwis in Queensland to ring 0800 432 111.
11.42am: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has praised the tug boat driver who stopped a 300 metre long concrete walkway crashing into anything. The walkway had been ripped from its supports and swept down the Brisbane River.
11.40am: The threat of looting is making Queensland flood victims reluctant to evacuate their properties when advised, police say.
11.38am: Three men have been charged after trying to steal two small boats which had washed from moorings on the Brisbane River.
11.36am: The Pacific Highway south of Grafton in northern NSW has reopened to all traffic but it is still closed to the north of the city.
11.26am: Queensland Rail is inspecting overhead track power cuts in Brisbane. Trains are not expected to be operating through the CBD until after 1pm (10am AEST).
11.11am: The death toll from the floods stands at 12 with 74 people missing.
11.06am: Brisbane residents have been urged to only undertake essential travel. Trains will not be operating through the CBD until after 1pm (10am AEST).
11.01am: The Kedron Wavell Services Club at 375 Hamilton Rd, Chermside, Brisbane is acting as an evacuation centre for those who cannot get to the RNA showgrounds, police say.
10.59am:Floodwaters are dropping slowly in Chinchilla where levels have fallen to a little over seven metres.
10.57am: Floodwaters continue to rise in the town of Condamine where the flood has reached 13.1 metres.
10.54am: Dalby is no longer cut in two by floods with Myall Creek dropping dramatically today. Police warn there is still a threat to the town from the Condamine River.
10.51am: Kevin Rudd, MP for the southern Brisbane electorate of Griffith, says the insurance process for flood-affected properties is "mind-boggling".
10.45am: England cricketer Kevin Pietersen is helping the fundraising effort by putting a shirt and a bat he used during the Ashes, plus tickets to an upcoming one day international, up for auction on eBay. The current bid stands at 820 pounds ($1700).
10.39am: Evacuation centres will be open "as long as necessary", Premier Anna Bligh says. Blue sky, no rain, and slightly lower river levels was some "good news after a lot of time without it".
10.32am: More flooding is expected in Chinchilla.
10.30am: Premier Anna Bligh has warned that some Brisbane residents may not be able to move back into their flood-affected homes for months.
10.28am: There are 3500 people in evacuation centres in Brisbane and Ipswich.
10.24am: The risk of disease from mosquitoes will peak in a couple of weeks, Brisbane doctor Gino Pecoraro has warned.
10.18am: The Brisbane River in central Brisbane would not drop much from its height of 4.45 metres, Bureau of Meteorology hydrologist Peter Baddiley said.
10.15am: Aerial footage has shown water up to the roofs of properties in Brisbane.
10.14am: Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd says Australia has been inundated with support from the international community.
10.10am: All Brisbane hospitals are open.
10.03am: Premier Anna Bligh says the Brisbane River level peak will remain until Saturday.
10.01am: Major-General Mick Slater predicts the recovery from the floods will "take us years".
9.59am: The floods will "take a hell of a cost on people's resilience" Major-General Mick Slater told Channel Nine.
9.56am: About 2000 people have been evacuated from Lower Clarence Valley in northern NSW.
9.50am: There are 74 people missing in Queensland, with two families unaccounted for in Murphy's Creek near Toowoomba, Channel Nine reported.
9.47am: A fundraising campaign has started in Ipswich's sister city in England. The "Hands Across the Water" campaign has been launched in the eastern England town of Ipswich.
9.44am: About 3000 homes and businesses have been flooded in Ipswich.
9.42am: Premier Anna Bligh says people should conserve water
9.39am: The Clarence River in NSW is expected to peak at 3.2 metres.
9.38am: Roads in Toowoomba remain closed.
9.32am: Queensland Treasurer Andrew Fraser has repeated warnings that the state's economy would take a massive hit from the flood crisis. He said economic forecasts would have to be revised downward.
9.25am: The death toll from the Queensland floods has officially risen to 13 after police confirmed the death of a 50-year-old man in Ipswich. The man's body was in a submerged car retrieved from a creek in the Karrabin suburb.
9.20am: Brisbane has been "hit and hit hard", Lord Mayor Campbell Newman told Channel Nine. Newman said 11,900 residential and 2,900 commercial properties would be flooded. He said the peak was 4.6 metres.
9.10am: Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman says drinking water supplies in Brisbane are safe.
9.01am: About 4,500 people have been isolated in NSW flooding.
8.54am: The number of Brisbane properties to be flooded will top 15,000, Brisbane City Council has said. Just under 12,000 of the properties will be residential, Channel Nine reported.
8.50am: Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale told Channel Nine the Bremer River was "dropping rapidly".
8.45am: The Bremer River has peaked in Ipswich at 19.4 metres.
8.41am: A large section of a floating boardwalk is being shadowed by water police as it floats along the Brisbane River out to Moreton Bay. The section was ripped from its mooring overnight.
8.38am: All buses into Brisbane have stopped, as have ferry services.
8.35am: While police say the Brisbane River has reached its peak, an official level has yet to be released.
8.30am: Police say the water level of the Brisbane River will remain high for the rest of the day, with floodwaters slowly receding over the weekend.
8.24am: The Brisbane River could remain at its peak for as long as 12 hours , forecaster Chris Leay said. The latest recording was 4.45 metres.
8.22am: Police say the Brisbane River has peaked.
8.20am: The Gateway Bridge in Brisbane has been reopened again.
8.13am: Work will begin today on restoring power to 120,000 homes and businesses in Brisbane. Power was cut as a precaution.
8.06am: Generators will have to be used in downtown Brisbane for at least three weeks, Mike Swanston of Energex said.
7.58am: The Brisbane River level is sitting steady at 4.45 metres. More than 30 suburbs have been affected with 45 people still missing.
7.55am: Food is running short in some areas west of Brisbane. Dalby Mayor Ray Brown said aircraft fuel was also in short supply because so many helicopters had been used to make emergency food drops .
7.52am: The Brisbane River has yet to reach its official peak. The last recording was 4.45 metres.
7.51am: NZ Foreign Affairs is advising people
with concerns about Kiwis in Queensland to ring 0800 432 111.
7.41am: Shane Warne is behind a fundraising cricket match for flood victims. With the support of former England bowler Darren Gough, Warne wants to organise a legends charity Twenty20 match at the MCG later this month.
7.36am: Lance Armstrong, the seven times Tour de France champion, has called on cyclists in Australia's Tour Down Under to help raise awareness overseas of the Queensland flood crisis.
7.33am: The Brisbane River is reported to be at 4.45 metres and holding, though the official peak has yet to be reached.
7.29am: The latest recording put the Brisbane River at 4.46 metres.
7.24am: Volunteers have been told not to turn up at sand bagging depots in Brisbane. The city council thanked people for their support but said volunteers were no longer required.
7.22am: The Gateway Bridge in Brisbane has been closed for the third time in the past few hours due to debris in the water.
7.20am: The Bremer River is expected to peak just under 18 metres in Ipswich, below the feared peak of 22 metres.
7.18am: The Brisbane River is now expected to peak at 4.6 metres.
7.16am: Three men have reportedly been charged with looting in west Brisbane.
7.14am: The Brisbane River is currently at 4.45 metres and rising. The peak is expected to be just below 5 metres.
7.11am: The Brisbane River is currently peaking.
7.07am: A text message has been circulating that the wall of the Wivenhoe Dam, which is built across the Brisbane River, has been breached. Police say this is incorrect and the wall has not been breached.
7.01am: Brisbane's Gateway Bridge has been reopened. It had earlier been closed as a safety precaution as debris headed downriver.
6.57am: The Brisbane River is still expected to peak at 7am, with the number of affected properties to be revised after this time. The Bureau of Meteorology had forecast the Brisbane River would peak at 5.2 metres, though that has since been revised to under 5 metres.
6.47am: About 125,000 homes and businesses in south-east Queensland will be without power today. Power company Energex said 80,000 addresses in the greater Brisbane area would be affected, 30,000 in Ipswich and surrounding suburbs, 4,200 in the Lockyer Valley, and pockets around Redcliffe, Gympie, Logan and the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.
6.18am: The Brisbane City Council says the peak level for the Brisbane River is still due around 7am (NZT). It is expected to last around 12 hours before beginning to fall.
They are encouraging residents to stay out of the floodwaters as they contain debris and contaminants.
6.15am: According to the Bureau of Meteorology, flood warnings are current for the following: Cooper Creek, Burnett River and tributaries, Caboolture River and Sunshine Coast streams, Condamine and Balonne river system, Fitzroy River, the Lockyer, Bremer, Warrill and Brisbane River below Wivenhoe including Brisbane City, Logan and Albert Rivers, Mary River, Moonie River, Stanley River and Brisbane River above Wivenhoe Dam, Weir and MacIntyre Rivers.
5.45am: British Prime Minister David Cameron has offered his sympathy to those affected by the flooding.
He said the UK stood ready to offer any assistance needed to help with the deluge.
Downing Street said: "The Prime Minister offered his deep sympathy on behalf of the British people for those who have died, those who have lost their homes and all those who have been affected by the floods in Queensland."
New Zealand's Prime Minister, John Key, returned to the Beehive ahead of schedule yesterday to speak to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
He said Civil Defence, the Fire Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), Defence Force and police are preparing to send possibly hundreds of personnel to Queensland to help.
Situation as at 5.30am: Brisbane is the focus of Queensland's flood crisis with residents bracing for a devastating peak in the city's river.
Premier Anna Bligh has warned that Brisbane residents will wake to "shocking" flood scenes despite the peak being downgraded to below the 1974 peak of 5.45 metres.
The Bureau of Meteorology said river level rises this morning were expected "with a peak under 5.0 metres expected with the high tide at 7am (NZT)".
The bureau said levels will remain high throughout today.
Floodwaters have already inundated 35 suburbs in Brisbane. Hundreds of residents have been forced to relocate to evacuation centres, with authorities predicting the figure to rise dramatically and have boosted capacity from 6,500 to 16,000.
The death toll from the south-east Queensland floods is officially at 13 after police confirmed the death of a 50-year-old man in Ipswich overnight.
There is also flooding in the states of New South Wales and Victoria, but no loss of life.
Approximately 3000 people in towns in New South Wales have been forced to leave their homes, and another 9000 have been isolated by floodwaters.
In Victoria, the main street of the small town of Natimuk, 300 kilometres west of Melbourne, has been inundated.
Read a wrap of yesterday's events as they happened.
Are you in Queensland? Share your experiences and pictures of the floods by emailing them to onlinenews@tvnz.co.nz
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