Furious Australians are still waiting for help from authorities, three days after deadly Christmas storms caused catastrophic damage.
Nearly 70,000 homes in south-west Queensland are still without power after wild weather knocked out 900 power lines, leaving a trail of destruction.
Ten people tragically died in storms over the Christmas period, with nine-year-old Mia Holland-McCormack one of seven fatalities in Queensland.
Highway emergency services will take emergency services to the battered Gold Coast region to help with the huge clean-up job of clearing power lines and trees that have fallen on roads, cars and homes.
Authorities have warned damage from the latest thunderstorms could be “in the billions”, just days after the aftermath of Cyclone Jasper wreaked havoc in far north Queensland.
Cleaning up the latest damage has taken a heavy toll on affected residents, many of whom have been left abandoned as the SES struggled to process more than 1,000 requests for help.
The Christmas storms that hit south-east Queensland caused extensive damage. The photo shows a house on the Gold Coast with its roof torn off
Residents helped with the massive clean-up operation near Mount Tambourine in the Gold Coast hinterland on Wednesday
Residents have appealed for help from the military, despite Prime Minister Steven Miles insisting local disaster management groups could meet the huge demand.
'I can't keep doing this. We are older people here, in the heat, no food. I mean, where the hell is the military?' Callum Davison told it Courier mail.
“How can this not be an emergency? You just have to use your eyes.'
Another man added: 'We need help, it would be nice if the army would help here.
“With all those trees on the roads, the power repairs cannot be made, leaving us in the dark.”
More help is on the way in the form of 40 NSW SES personnel arriving on the Gold Coast on Thursday.
Thousands of residents in south-east Queensland have been without power since Christmas Day. The photo shows a Gold Coast resident inspecting the destruction of his home
Devastated residents are left with high damage bills and long delays in getting help from authorities
Residents seeking further information or urgent assistance can contact the Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349.
The Prime Minister said SES crews are prioritizing jobs in the fireline, where more storms are likely in the coming days.
“They didn't have to escalate to a state level, let alone a federal level,” Miles said.
He urged residents affected by the devastating storms to apply for disaster assistance.
Hardship payments are $180 per person and up to $900 per family.
“They're really just designed to get people through the first few days and make sure they have food and other essentials,” Mr Miles said.
Thousands of people could be without power for days as crews from energy supplier Energex repair damaged power lines around the clock.
“There's a lot of pressure on our first responders… (but) we prepare for this kind of perfect storm scenario every year,” Energy Minister Mick de Brenn said.
“We are applying layer upon layer of stress testing to our system and our people to ensure they are ready.
“It will be difficult, but I am confident they will get us through this.”
The catastrophic storms claimed seven lives in Queensland over Christmas. Pictured is the damage near Movie World on the Gold Coast
SES crews from NSW are on their way to assist with the massive clean-up on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast felt the brunt of the storms with hundreds of power lines and trees falling on roads, homes and cars (pictured)
The death toll from the wild storms battering Australia's east coast rose to ten on Wednesday night.
Mia Holland-McCormack, 9, died on Boxing Day after being swept away by floodwaters as she jumped the fence of her family's home in Brisbane's south-east.
Brisbane rugby identity David 'Mario' Logan and teacher Stephen 'Taity' Tait also died on Tuesday afternoon after a boat with 11 people on board capsized near Green Island, in Moreton Bay.
A Tingalpa man, 59, was confirmed by police as the third person killed in the crash when he was discovered on Wednesday morning after desperate attempts to find him overnight. Eight others were rescued from the ship.
Robyn Carman, 59, died just 100 meters from her Gold Coast home on Christmas night after being struck by a falling tree.
Brisbane youngster Mia Holland-McCormack, 9, tragically died on Boxing Day
Queensland Police confirmed the death of another woman on Wednesday afternoon after three people were swept into the Mary River, near Gympie, by floodwaters.
Queensland Rugby and Australian Wallabies greats have paid tribute to Logan and Tait, who both enjoyed sporting success in Brisbane.
'It's amazing how 'Taity' and 'Mario' could both have disappeared together so suddenly. They were two of the nicest people. It's hard to believe,” said former Wallaby Dan Crowley.
'Both had the same relaxed demeanor and no one had said a bad word about them.'
An online fundraiser has been set up for Mia Holland-McCormack's devastated parents after the nine-year-old
Former rugby players David 'Mario' Logan (left) and Stephen 'Taity' Tait (right) died after their boat capsized on Boxing Day