HOST: Prime Minister thank you for your time tonight. You've toured the flood hit areas today, what have you seen and how as it affected you personally?
PM: Today I've been in St George and they are still bracing for the peak of the flood. They're very well prepared, but of course they're anxious as they await the peak and there are people there who had their homes flooded in March and who are now battling floodwaters again.
Now I'm in Rockhampton and you can see the river and the water behind me. I've had the opportunity here today to go to the local evacuation centre and the recovery centre to speak to a large number of local people. The peak of the flood is past here, the mood is stoic, people are looking after each other, they're really lending a helping hand to each other.
HOST: Now tell me, we've seeing these pictures for weeks now, is it different when you're actually there on the ground?
PM: I always think the important thing isn't so much the pictures of the water, though we need to see those to understand the dimensions of what's happening here, but the really important thing is the stories of the people, understanding what's happened to them, what sort of pressure they feel under and what's the best way of working with them as they go through firstly relief - like being in the evacuation centre - and then recovery, and go back and rebuild their homes and businesses and of course many of our primary producers have been affected as well.
HOST: Well a very long process ahead, thank you so much for your time tonight.
PM: Thank you and of course I'd be asking Australians to dig deep for your telethon and appeal.
HOST: I'm sure they will, thank you.