Update:

Retired General Peter Cosgrove has been put in charge of the process in North Queensland. A good politically sensitive move, as he was in charge of previous such efforts, and is well respected.

The State Premier has been there for a few days and personally felt the anger of people who have lost everything and have to queue for 2 days to get cash to buy food. His response was to ensure that the single site for such was expanded to a few more the next day.

The total area seriously affected is approx half the size of Tasmania - does anybody know a comparable size for Katrina?

There is still heavy disruption to movement, bridges out, flooding and massive amount of large trees on roads preventing trucks getting in. The Army got in, but they use equipment designed to cope... :-)
after all if the army can't go anywhere it wants or needs to in inhospitable terrain, it's not much of a combat force!

Still serious disruption to power, phones, water and sewage, but the fears for epidemics are abating as the situation is being controlled. Hercules and other military planes are being used to fly in bottled water and basic food supplies and tents. Banks and Chemists are operating manually by gaslight. Supermarkets are open again, with what supplies they have - a strong argument against 'just in time' supply logistics!

At the moment, Australians are working on 'charity begins at home', I'm afraid - it will take up to 18 months before the agricultural industry recovers and all the workers are able to have jobs again. Much labour was from backpackers, who now are stranded in the area due to the roads being out. They and their money won't be back for best part of a year, when the banana trees start to reach harvest stage.