The federal government has forwarded the latest instalment of its $5.6 billion funding package to Queensland, as flood recovery efforts continue in the state's southern inland areas.
Speaking in the Queensland town of St George, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the government had been making sure that money was continuously available to flood-hit areas of Queensland.
"With the payment last Tuesday of $1.9 billion, now $4.1 billion in total has been advanced to the Queensland government to work through its recovery agency to help communities on the ground recover," Ms Gillard told reporters.
"And we will do everything we need to assess the damage that has now happened from these floods and to make appropriate arrangements for recovery."
She said the state was still recovering from last summer's natural disasters.
"We've allocated $5.6 billion to Queensland to repair and recover from last year.
"Some of the same infrastructure has now been hit again and damages assessments will happen over coming weeks."
The prime minister said she would be talking to National Party Senator Barnaby Joyce and Balonne Shire Mayor Donna Stewart about the possibility of a permanent flood levee around the town of St George.
"It's something that we've got to consider and study carefully.
"We've got to understand patterns of floodwaters and what protections can be provided."
The priority at the moment was the recovery effort, she said.
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