A deluge of wet weather has lashed Queensland with the worst flooding in more than 50 years expected to take weeks to clear.
Floodwaters have cut roads and isolated communities after days of rain, forcing many in central and southwest parts of the state to flee.
Graziers in western parts of the state are expected to lose a staggering number of livestock.
The population of Adavale - a southwest community of about 30 people - was flown out by helicopter to nearby Quilpie after the town was inundated.
Central Queensland's Stonehenge, Jundah and Windorah have also been hit hard after some areas recorded almost double their average yearly rainfall, triggering flooding not seen since 1974.
Personal hardship assistance has been activated, with concessional loans and freight subsidies to help primary producers in a string of western Queensland communities.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the flooding would inundate hundreds of thousands of hectares.
"We are continuing to doorknock by boat in Jundah where there's been some evacuations and the prospect of a few more today," he said on Saturday.
"The peak hasn't yet hit Quilpie which means it will be a few days before places like Thargomindah and Hungerford and Cunnamulla experience the worst of the water," Mr Crisafulli said
He said floodwaters had already destroyed thousands of kilometres of livestock fencing and authorities were prioritising fodder drops to minimise livestock losses.
"You've got somewhere in the order of a million head of cattle, a million sheep who are impacted at the moment and we could see stock losses into the hundreds of thousands," he said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced more than $2 million in disaster funding for the region.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said he supported calling out the Australian Defence Force to assist regions in Queensland's west if required.
Nationals leader David Littleproud said helicopters were "buzzing around like bees", dropping fodder onto properties.
"The stock losses here and right up towards Winton are going to be enormous," he told ABC News from Quilpie, in western Queensland.
An emergency flood alert has been issued for the Gold Coast, with more flood warnings in NSW as river catchments continue to rise.
A severe weather warning is in place for heavy rainfall and damaging winds in parts of the Hunter, Mid North Coast, Sydney, Illawarra, South Coast, Southern and Central Tablelands, Snowy Mountains, South West Slopes, North West Slopes and Plains districts.
The state emergency service said it had responded to hundreds of calls for assistance, including three flood rescues.
NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Dean Storey warned heavy rainfall could lead to flash flooding on busy suburban Sydney roads.
Strong winds and rain are forecast on Sunday across parts of southern NSW and eastern Victoria.
Communities in Western Australia's north are also on high alert for the risk of flooding as ex-tropical cyclone Diane moves inland after crossing the coast on Saturday morning.
12°C