Assistance rolled out for flood-hit Australian island

Recovery and relief efforts are being rolled out for residents of a small Torres Strait island in Australia's Queensland state after severe wind, rain and tides damaged the remote area, officials said on Monday.

Residents in a low-lying area of Yam Island, which is about 2 square km in size with a population of about 350 people, were relocated last week after they were hit by the floods, according to a media statement from the state's Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford, Xinhua reported.

Crawford and local member of parliament Cynthia Lui are scheduled on Monday to visit the affected site where emergency services are working with the state reconstruction authority and other agencies to provide support to residents.

Crawford said there was "widespread interruption to services and inundation of low lying areas, with most communities suffering minor damage."

"Growing up on the island, I have a real understanding of how unique and diverse this region is. This kind of weather happens every year, but this event was the worst I've seen," said Lui, whose grandfather was an island community teacher and both he and her father served as local council chairmen.

"To see the kind of impact it's -- where locals have lost their homes and belongings -- upsetting because these people are my family," she said.

"Now during the rebuilding and resilience phase, we want affected communities to follow the advice of local emergency services and the relevant authorities."

--IANS

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