Oz deputy PM says flood-ravaged Queensland will need over 2 yrs to recover

Sydney, Jan 15(ANI): Deputy Australian Prime Minister Wayne Swan has said that Queensland will need more than two years to recover from the widespread and destructive flooding.

Raging floodwaters have swamped thousands of homes and businesses in Queensland, leaving at least 25 people dead and over 100 missing since late November.

Rail lines and highways have been washed away in what is shaping up to become Australia's costliest natural disaster.

Swan said that statewide recovery would take "enormous financial reserves", but the government would do whatever was required.

"What we have to do in the days, weeks and years ahead is commit ourselves to doing everything we possibly can to help those people and to help those communities," Sky News quoted Swan, as saying.

"Because this is going to take a long time for us to work through all of the issues that flow from this experience. This isn't going to stop in a week or a month, or two weeks, or two months or, for that matter, two years," he added. (ANI)