Floodwaters Enter Brisbane City

Floodwaters are moving into the Brisbane's inner city suburb of West End, with evacuations already underway in the city's CBD as police urge residents who live near the Brisbane River to move to safer areas.

The Brisbane River has broken its banks with police preparing residents in the inner-city suburb of West End to evacuate. An employee working in West End told ninemsn he saw water spilling over a wall along the edge of the river this morning. "It [the river] was pretty high this morning," said Greg McLeod, who works at a factory at 73 Jane Street, located near the banks of the Brisbane River.

"It had gone over the top of the little wall … it has officially burst its banks, but I'm not sure how far out it's gone. "Our street ends at the river … police are actually at the next intersection stopping people."

Mr MacLeod, a sales manager for Wellborne Corporate Image, said police had not yet told them to evacuate. "They haven't told us to leave but it has been on the radio that we should leave," he said.
"We're trying to move as much stock from downstairs to upstairs as quickly as possible."
Queensland police told ninemsn there was localised flooding in the inner city suburb of West End but could not confirm whether the river had broken its banks. "I do believe there's some localised flooding in West End," a Queensland police spokeswoman said. There are reports that public transport in Brisbane will remain running where possible after earlier reports that it would all be stopped. Brisbane Police have also advised that city bikeways have flooded.  Brisbane's Eagle Street Pier was deserted this morning as riverside restaurants evacuated in anticipation of rising river levels, while officer workers evacuated buildings in Fortitude Valley. The Riverwalk in the city has been shut off and the Powerhouse in the New Farm has been closed.  Queensland Police Service Facebook updates have said air evacuations of about 300 people are underway in Forest Hill.  Residents in Strathpine and Caboolture are also being evacuated as a matter of urgency. Southern Downs Regional Council Mayor, Ron Bellingham, said the Local Disaster Coordination Centre has been re-opened as emergency services workers door-knocked about 150 homes in low-lying areas in Warwick and Allora to encourage residents to be prepared to evacuate.