Primate launches appeal for Queensland

The Australian Primate, Dr Phillip Aspinall, who is the Archbishop of Brisbane, in Queensland, has launched an appeal to assist flooded parishes in his province.

The Australian Anglican Primates’ appeal will assist congregations that “will struggle for some time to pay stip­ends and other operating costs”, Dr Aspinall said.

Five Anglican parishes in Bris­bane were offered as evacuation centres, as authorities predicted that up to 20,000 homes would be in­un-dated on Wednesday night, when the Brisbane River was expected to peak.

The central business district of Brisbane has been shut down. Minimal public transport is operating, and electricity has been cut to 100,000 homes. At least 30 suburbs are affected by the rising floodwaters.

Toowoomba and other towns near Brisbane suffered a water surge described as an “inland tsunami”. One report suggested that 30 people have died, and 78 people are miss­ing, since the flooding began in south-east Queensland.

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