TENS of thousands of cattle stranded by floods in Queensland have been left to starve because owners cannot drop feed to them and state authorities say they are powerless to act.

Farmers fear the rain and floods that have affected two-thirds of Queensland will devastate the beef industry in some regions, while sugarcane growers are also bracing for heavy losses.

The federal Government yesterday offered aid to disaster areas, including the use of army helicopters to ferry fuel to the flooded town of Ingham to help relief efforts.

Although flooding as a result of two cyclones began receding in many areas yesterday, authorities now fear a king tide this weekend could combine with a low pressure system off the coast to once again flood the coast from Cardwell to Townsville.

But while food supplies were getting to some towns, there were no plans for government feed drops to stranded livestock, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries assistant director-general Tony Rayner said.

The welfare of animals was primarily the responsibility of their owners, who could apply for loans under disaster legislation, Mr Rayner said.

"We are working with industry and local authorities to see exactly how big the losses will be."

In many cases, livestock have moved hundreds of kilometres from their stations, which means identifying their owners is difficult. And with much of the area under water, station owners haveno feed and many of the animals have been left to die.

Queensland Cattle Council president Greg Barns said the floods would devastate the beef industry. "The situation in many cases is really beyond human intervention," Mr Barns said.

The Shire of Carpentaria, which takes in the flooded regions around Karumba and Normanton, has been forced to reject several requests from cattle stations to herd livestock into town, because they do not have the space.

Pilots flying over the Gulf country have reported thousands of starving or dead cattle.

The sugar industry has also been hit, with growers in theBurdekin region around Townsville fearing the floods could reduce this year's crop by 20 per cent.

Although flood waters around Ingham yesterday stopped rising, 52 people were still living in the local high school's library and hundreds of homes remained inundated.

The town's hospital has been operating near capacity, with medical staff working double shifts and getting to work by boat and helicopter.

Roads north and west of Townsville, north Queensland's largest city, remained closed yesterday, although the road south was open. "We're coping pretty well," said the deputy chairman of the Townsville disaster management group, Dale Last.

"But if the low blows in and brings rain with the king tide, there could be problems. Everything is already so wet."

The level of the Norman River around Normanton has also started to fall, although the community is still expected to be cut off for six weeks.

Additional reporting: AAP

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