With the Stuart Highway still closed north of Glendambo due to flooding, severe shortages of basic goods are being reported in towns like Coober Pedy … and travellers are being urged to five the area a wide berth.
South Australia Premier Stephen Marshall said the situation was dire.
“Unless you need to be travelling in the north of South Australia, please stay away – this is a very dangerous situation,” he told the ABC. “Our concern is the further extreme weather and rainfall events forecast over the next 72 hours … this is going to further exacerbate the already difficult situation that we are envisaging.”
Between 50mm and 100mm of rain is predicted but there could be up to 200mm, potentially causing more damage or preventing repairs to highways and rail lines to the NT and WA.
The Stuart Highway remains under half a metre of water at Glendambo, preventing direct travel between Adelaide and the Northern Territory.
SA Police Assistant Commissioner, Ian Parrott, has said that reports of vehicles, including trucks, breaching the road block are disappointing.
“Whilst we understand that people are feeling frustrated, that people are feeling isolated in that area, there is no excuse for going through a roadblock,” he told the ABC. “The road is closed. You are not permitted to travel through that area … for your own safety and the other reason is if further damage is caused to that road it may impede the emergency services’ responses to restoring the road network.”
After no fresh produce deliveries for seven days, Coober Pedy supermarket shelves are starting to empty, and the Australian Defence Force is set to fly in 20 tonnes of essential food and supplies within the next 24 hours.
Further north, Alice Springs has also been struggling with a lack of supplies being delivered to local supermarkets.
Was due to travel back home after spending Christmas/ New Year with son and family in Alice. Need to be home for grandma duties for impending birth of new grandchild with older grand child needing care. Very stressful.