Beaches are closed and there have been multiple reports of cars in floodwater as a powerful offshore weather system moves south along Australia’s east coast.
There was also chaos near Byron Bay on Friday, as thousands of fans heading to the Splendour in the Grass music festival faced hours-long queues and muddy campgrounds.
Queensland emergency crews responded to two incidents when drivers found themselves in trouble on roads about three hours north west of Brisbane early on Friday.
A woman was assessed at the scene and didn’t need to be taken to hospital after an incident on the Bunya Highway near Kingaroy.
Two people in their 50s also avoided injury when a car entered floodwater on Kumbia Road in Brooklands.
At Byron Bay, Splendour in the Grass attendees reported queuing overnight to enter the festival grounds, which were muddy and partially under water on Friday morning. Many had to sleep in their cars
Despite the conditions, the organisers promised the weekend festival would go on.
“The weather and staff shortages were all worse than expected,” a message on the festival’s Facebook page said late on Thursday.
“We are doing the best we can – the show will go on rain, hail or shine.”
It is the first Splendour in the Grass in three years, after repeated cancellations during the pandemic.
Wild surf is forecast for the NSW north coast from Friday, with wave heights of more than five metres possible.
Dangerous beach conditions could affect the popular seaside towns of Tweed Heads, Byron Bay, Ballina and Yamba.
Damaging winds averaging around 50km/h are possible in exposed parts of the coast, and peak gusts may reach 110km/h on Fraser Island, also known as K’gari.
In the Sunshine Coast hinterland, there have already been rainfall totals of more than 100 millimetres, with the town of Maleny among the hardest hit.
There is also a minor flood warning in place for the Stanley River at Woodford, about an hour north of Brisbane.
The low-pressure weather system is expected to move south on Friday and Saturday, and beaches have been closed on the Gold Coast because of the dangerous conditions.
-with AAP
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