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AAP
AAP
National
Marty Silk

Qld defends dam amid flood condolences

Annastacia Palaszczuk says Wivenhoe Dan held back "four Sydney Harbours" during Qld's floods. (AAP)

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has again defended Wivenhoe Dam releases during the floods after extending her condolences to the families of 13 people killed in disaster.

Ms Palaszczuk moved the motion in parliament on Wednesday to take stock of the disaster in the state's southeast during the last two weeks in February.

Thirteen people died and another man remains missing, feared dead in the floods, which also damaged thousands of homes and businesses.

"The record rainfall that led to the widespread floods of the past fortnight will enter the record books as one of the toughest ordeals our state has ever faced," the premier told parliament.

"I express once again my sympathies to the families and friends of 13 people who lost their lives.

"These floods occurred with frightening speed across a vast area. It is as if a river dropped from the sky across the entire southeast."

She paid tribute to Queensland Fire and Emergency Services who made 657 swift water rescues and responded to 13,685 calls for help.

The Inspector-General of Emergency Management is probing the government's response, Ms Palaszczuk said, including flood mitigation releases from Wivenhoe Dam into the upper Brisbane River.

However, the premier again defended the operation of the dam, which she said had held back "four Sydney Harbours" worth of water.

"Critics have accused the dam's operators of contributing to the floods, how they explain what happened in Gympie and Maryborough, let alone Lismore and Sydney, is beyond me," Ms Palaszczuk said.

Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli extended his "heartfelt" condolences to the families of those who'd died in the floods.

"Disasters are a challenging time and for families who lose loved ones, that is a particularly, particularly, difficult moment," he said.

The state should improve its messaging, mitigation and betterment, the LNP leader said, to make itself more flood resilient in future.

He said some flood victims he found throwing out their muddy belongings in the aftermath told him they'd been told there was "no cause for concern" less than 48 hours before floodwaters swamped their homes.

"Disasters are about making the right calls at the right time, and messages matter," Mr Crisafulli said.

The LNP leader said the government should consider temporary flood levee and drainage combinations for flood-prone areas, like one which protected the city of Maryborough.

Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe trembled with emotion while reading a social media post from one of his Sandgate constituents thanking local men who used tinnies to rescue people from floodwaters in northeast Brisbane.

"'The people of this neighbourhood never fail to astound me with their generosity'," Mr Hinchliffe quavered, reading the post.

More than 1000 people are in emergency accommodation and 25,570 disaster payments worth $10.6 million had been paid to people and businesses.

Meanwhile, all Queensland Rail services will be restored by Thursday after a three week clean-up of flooding damage.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said about 700 staff had been called in after 2000m of track across 26 sites and 34 out of 153 stations were damaged in the southeast by floodwaters.

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