The number of defense force personnel involved in the Queensland flood operation will be doubled to 1,200, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard
announced on Friday.
"This will be the biggest deployment for a natural disaster since Cyclone Tracy," Gillard said at the Amberley air base west of Brisbane on Friday.
Gillard said, after talks with Defense Minister Stephen Smith and military chiefs, "Now is the right time to dramatically increase the
number of defense personnel who are working in Queensland to assist with the Queensland floods."
Gillard said the troop boost was important for Queensland people to get back on their feet as soon as possible.
"Defense personnel (will be) getting out helping with the mopping, the hosing and the removal of debris and rubbish that needs to happen so communities can start getting back on their feet."
Military aircraft would continue to be involved in transporting supplies, search-and-rescue operations and potentially medical evacuations.
Defense personnel would also be involved in engineering work.
"Those engineers can work alongside Queensland experts to do things like assess the structural integrity of roads, assist with urgent repairs, help vehicles and people get moving through again, and assist with things like creating temporary bridges," Gillard said.
Gillard said defense personnel also would provide specialist services to flood-affected Queensland residents.
That would include psychologists who were used to dealing with people who had been involved in very traumatic incidents.