Gillard Pledges Support for Flood-Hit Town in Disaster Zone
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Prime Minister Julia Gillard is pledging support for the Australian town of Wagga Wagga, where flooding forced about 8,000 residents from their homes after the local river peaked at its highest level in 38 years.
The New South Wales town, which has a population of more than 60,000 people, was declared a disaster zone yesterday as the Murrumbidgee River threatened to breach a levee. The waterway rose as high as 10.6 meters (35 feet) overnight, below the forecast 10.9-meter peak, and the fortifications held, according to the New South Wales State Emergency Service.