'Everyone keeps forgetting Kajabbi', publican calls for flood infrastructure

After receiving 420 millimetres of rain from January 7 to February 7, the outback town has spent the last month cut-off and isolated.

Kalkadoon Hotel owner Jeff Bambrick is calling for the government to improve infrastructure and safety by installing a bridge on the Leichhardt River near Kajabbi.

"I don't think anyone in parliament knows where Kajabbi is, everyone keeps forgetting about Kajabbi, it's just a pigment of their imagination," Mr Bambrick said.

"This year the river has only filled the main channel, but it has been consistent, about three metres.

"It filled up first from local rain, it was running and we were cut off. Then Mount Isa got a lot of rain, Lake Julius went over, so it added to the water we already had.

"Our catchment area is huge, it goes all the way to Gunpowder (north of Mount Isa), half way to Cloncurry and down towards Dajarra, all that rain comes this way and cuts us off."

With Lake Julius continuing to spill over, there is no sign of the floodwaters receding anytime soon.

Mr Bambrick said infrastructure was promised 23 years ago, but they're still driving through the riverbank.

"There is no causeway, it is just a dirt road across the river," he said.

"Back in 2001 there was plans to put a causeway in but it never happened. So I am pushing for government now to put in the causeway that was suppose to be put in 23 years ago.

"A bridge would be even more beneficial and help with safety also. If they put a three metre bridge in it would be perfect as we wouldn't be cut off during an average wet season like this."

Mr Bambrick said having no infrastructure to get out during the wet season was a serious safety concern.

"During the wet season, brown snakes are on the move due to breeding over summer, there are more brown snakes around this time of year than ever," he said.

"Last year we had someone bitten by a brown snake. Now let us say there are electrical storms around, a helicopter can't get in to help, and the river is up so the road is cut, that person is finished.

"If anyone has a type of emergency during the wet and there are storms around, there isn't much hope."

Mr Bambrick said if Kajabbi had a bridge it would boost the town's population.

"We have all these cattle stations and mines around Kajabbi, if we had a bridge coming into town they would utilise our town more and the population would grow," he said.

"The town is trying to build but we can't because during the wet season you can't get across the river to go to work.

"There are people that live in Kajabbi that work in the mines and during the wet season they have to stay in Cloncurry because they can't afford to be cut off by the river."

Mr Bambrick said this was not the first time Kajabbi had been forgotten by the government.

"The government forgets about the bush. They spent $64 million on a feasibility study to build another tunnel in Brisbane. If they put some of that money back out to regional areas, that would be great, but they don't they waste it in Brisbane.

"They could spend it on a bridge out here and then the population of Kajabbi would go from 14 to about 50 or 60."

With lack of wet weather infrastructure and being cut off, has almost sent Mr Bambrick broke.

"The only support I have had is from locals, and that's been great, but they can only spend so much.

"I've still got bills to pay and we can't get any visitors in while there is water in the river. Once roads reopen and it is safe to travel, I would love for people to come out and have a meal and a couple of beers and say g'day."