Concerns about a dam collapse and the slow rise of the Balonne River have frayed the nerves of people in the Queensland town of St George, but Premier Anna Bligh warned there was still "no end in sight".
About 2500 residents who evacuated the town at the weekend looked likely to remain at centres in Brisbane and Dalby until next week, with the Balonne rising to a record 13.95 metres on Wednesday, despite earlier predictions it would peak on Tuesday.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the river was now steady, but water levels would stay above 13.5 metres until Friday.
A makeshift earthen levee around St George has so far protected the town, but the Moolabah Weir, on the Thuraggi Channel, has suffered structural damage, sparking warnings of a collapse.
Engineers noticed concrete slabs on the weir spillway were moving on Tuesday, and a few properties downstream were evacuated as a precaution.
A statement from the Department of Community Safety said an emergency alert regarding the weir remained in place, but said a dam failure was "unlikely but not implausible".
"The damage to the weir is currently posing no immediate threat to life or property," the statement said.
"(But) residents are urged to remain vigilant at this time."
Ms Bligh said the flood situation would likely continue for days, if not weeks.
"(These are) very tough circumstances in St George, very grim times for this little town," she told reporters in Townsville.
"Third time in two years, hundreds of people out of their homes, and no end in sight."
Ms Bligh said St George evacuees would not be able to return until the town's sewerage system, which was rendered inoperable by the floodwaters, had been repaired.
The clean-up effort in the towns of Roma and Mitchell was boosted by 120 defence force personnel, who were sent to the region this week.
The Maranoa Regional Council said there were 290 flood-affected properties at Roma and a further 288 at Mitchell. The figures don't include outlying properties.
The Maranoa Bridge at Mitchell - the town's main access point - was reopened on Wednesday morning after it passed a safety inspection from the Department of Main Roads.
Meanwhile, Paroo Regional Council workers reinforced the levee protecting the town of Cunnamulla, ahead of the Warrego River's expected peak on Thursday.
The small town of Dirranbandi, south of St George, was cut off on Wednesday as floodwaters moved towards the NSW border.
Police said roads into the town, which is protected by a levee, would likely remain closed for weeks to come.
Dirran Pub bartender Howard Best said locals had plenty of warning and most were well prepared.
"We know if they get rain up north it'll come to us a week later," he told AAP.
"But it's beautiful here today. You'd hardly know we were flooded."
Police stepped up patrols of flood-damaged roads on Wednesday, offering support to motorists trapped by floodwaters and to those returning home.
Police say it's unlikely St George residents will be able to return before Saturday while the town's sewerage system is inoperable.
"Until it is safe for you to return, police roadblocks will be maintained and people will be turned back for their own safety," a police statement said on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Queensland government and federal governments have announced relief payments for those in the Maranoa, Balonne, Murweh and Central Highlands local government areas.
Community Services Minister Karen Struthers says personal hardship payments of $180 per person and up to $900 per family are available.
A household grant of up to $1,765 for individuals and $5,300 for families is available to those on low incomes, she said.
And uninsured homeowners can apply for grants of up to $14,685 to repair flood damaged homes.
Grants are also available to help people reconnect essential services to their homes in the Paroo, Barcaldine, Blackall/Tambo, Murweh, Maranoa, Balonne and the Central Highlands council areas.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Robert McClelland announced flood affected councils could access assistance to cover the cost of counter disaster operations and to restore damaged public assets.
The councils of Balonne, Barcaldine, Barcoo, Blackall-Tambo, Isaac, Longreach, Maranoa, Paroo, and Winton join 11 other local government areas that became eligible last week.
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