ST. GEORGE, Australia, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- One Australian town in southwest Queensland got the welcome news its river will not rise as high as earlier forecasts predicted.
St. George, an agricultural town and sport fishing center on the Balonne River, is one of the last places in the region where the water was still rising Saturday, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. In other places, the water has begun to recede, although many places will continue to be flooded for days.
The Queensland floods have been blamed for at least 10 deaths and officials say 200,000 people have been affected.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard joined Queensland Premier Anna Bligh for a tour of some of the flooded areas Saturday morning, The Courier-Mail of Brisbane reported. Gillard praised St. George's flood preparations, including emergency building of levees.
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One man asked her whether the levees could actually be causing flooding, saying areas have been underwater this year that were spared in past floods.
"Something needs to be done to ensure the water is allowed to run across the natural floodplain not just pool up,'' Peter Goodwin said.
Forecasters said the Balonne was likely to crest at about 44 feet, matching the 44-foot record set last year, and 2 feet below earlier predictions, ABC said. That means only 10 homes are likely to be flooded.
Maj. Gen. Mick Slater, head of Queensland's flood task force, flew into Rockhampton Friday to inspect the damage in one of the hardest hit places.
"I've flown into Rockhampton as a soldier many, many times," he said. "This is the first time it's looked like a group of tropical islands."
