Extreme rainfall has pushed Australia's tropical north into crisis, with Darwin residents now facing unprecedented water restrictions and Queensland towns bracing for major flooding that authorities say will rival disasters from more than a decade earlier.
In Darwin, the pump station at the Darwin River Dam temporarily ceased operations due to equipment being flooded by heavy rain, described as an unprecedented situation with water volumes never before seen in the dam. Substantial flooding Monday caused the pump station and associated equipment to shut down, pushing the dam to more than 110 per cent capacity.
The NT's Department of Health has warned all Darwin and surrounding residents to use only boiled or bottled water for drinking, food preparation, baby formula, and teeth brushing. The Darwin River Dam supplies 85% of the Darwin region's water needs, leaving little margin for failure.
PowerWater has asked residents to reduce water use immediately. The company called for residents to switch off any irrigation, take shorter showers and ensure taps are turned off. Borefields at McMinns and Howard East have been activated to help partially meet demand, but the company said it would not be enough to meet the shortfall of the dam being offline.
PowerWater's acting chief executive appeared on local radio to plead with the public to reduce their water consumption, stating repairs to the pumping station could take one to two days. The boil water alert will be lifted only once the dam is back to normal operation and the water is confirmed safe to drink.
While Darwin struggles with water supply, Queensland faces the opposite emergency. Residents in the central Queensland hub of Bundaberg are bracing for major flooding, with an evacuation centre opened and about 180 properties threatened, evoking memories of a 2010 natural disaster.
The swollen Burnett River is set to peak at about 7.5 metres early on Wednesday, slightly below the levels seen 16 years earlier that inundated homes and forced hundreds to evacuate the city of more than 70,000 people. Major Tallon and Burnett Bridges that connect the city are expected to be closed on Tuesday afternoon.
Bundaberg mayor Helen Blackburn told AAP that the council is encouraging people to evacuate now if they are concerned, so that they are not waiting until the middle of the night. She noted the predicted level was significantly lower than the 2010 peak, though she expressed frustration with several people who had already been rescued from their cars.
The flooding crisis extends across the region. More rain has halted clean-up efforts in Katherine, where hundreds were evacuated as homes and businesses were swamped when the Katherine River exceeded major flood levels, with the federal and NT governments announcing further disaster assistance funding for the region where about 700 people have been housed in shelters.
The severity of both crises reflects the region's vulnerability to extreme weather. While the Darwin River Dam is ungated with no spillway regulation possible, with overflow considered normal most years, the unprecedented volume has overwhelmed the infrastructure designed to handle seasonal wet season surges.
For Darwin, the immediate priority is restoring pump station operations and conserving the limited water supply. For Bundaberg, it is ensuring residents reach safety before the Burnett River peaks. Both situations underscore the critical role that water and flood management infrastructure plays in protecting Australia's communities during extreme weather events.