The Queensland Reconstruction Authority (CEO was Graeme Newton) was formed to coordinate the rebuilding program beyond the initial task force, and a Commission of Inquiry was established to investigate all matters related to the floods.

On 26 February 2021 the result of legal action, started in 2014 and won in 2019, was a partial settlement of A$440 million in compensation for thousands of flood victims, from the Queensland government and SunWater.

The floods were a result of heavy rainfall caused by Tropical Cyclone Tasha that combined with a trough during the peak of a La Niña Modoki event.

[15] He attributed a half-degree Celsius rise in ocean temperatures around Australia to global warming (which produces extra water vapour and intensifies the monsoon).

[20] Flooding was widespread across Queensland and New South Wales from the end of December 2010 to January 2011 with several separate rain events causing rivers to rise over a lengthy period.

[19][22] The flooding initially forced the evacuation of 1,000 people from Theodore and other towns, described as unprecedented by the acting chief officer of the Emergency Management Queensland.

[32] The Goonyella railway line which serves a number of coal mines in the Bowen Basin was closed for one week and shipments of grain were also delayed.

[43] The Macintyre River, which forms part of the border between the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland, began to threaten the town of Goondiwindi on 13 January.

The Mary River at Maryborough was expected to initially peak at 8.5 metres (28 ft) at midday 9 January with some houses and businesses inundated by flood waters.

[63] Brisbane's major Rugby league and Soccer (Association Football) venue, Suncorp Stadium, filled with water up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) deep, reaching the third or fourth row of seats.

[66][67] The field deployment showed also some unusual features of flood flow in an urban environment linked with some local topographic effects.

[68] The Bremer River at Ipswich, 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Brisbane, reached a height of 19.4 metres (64 ft) on 12 January, inundating the central business district and at least 3,000 houses.

[105] Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard toured flood-affected areas on 31 December,[28] the day before The Queen (Elizabeth II), sent her expressions of concern and sympathy for the victims of the floods to her representative in Queensland, Governor Penelope Wensley.

[106][107] The Queen later made a donation to her Queensland premier's flood relief appeal,[108] as did her son, the Prince of Wales (now Charles III).

[109] In March 2011, Charles' eldest son, Prince William, toured the affected areas in Queensland, as well as those damaged by the floods in Victoria.

Downing Street stated: "The Prime Minister offered his deep sympathy on behalf of the British people for those who have died, those who have lost their homes and all those who have been affected by the floods in Queensland.

[41] Small businesses and primary producers in 13 local government areas became eligible for grants of up to A$25,000 to pay for costs from damage incurred as a result of the floods.

[122] On 9 January, the Flood Relief Appeal: Australia Unites telethon broadcast by the Nine Network from the Suncorp Piazza at South Bank Parklands, Brisbane raised more than A$10 million in pledged aid.

[124] On 16 January, the day before the 2011 Australian Tennis Open commenced, a number of players took part in the Rally for Relief which was held at Rod Laver Arena and attended by 15,000 people, which raised A$750,000.

Players who took part included Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Lleyton Hewitt, Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick.

The large number of new houses that have been flooded proves that land management by the Queensland government is extremely poor and building is still going on in inappropriate areas."

He contrasted the approach in Queensland with the practices developed in NSW after the 1955 Hunter Valley floods, that aimed to move homes out of dangerous areas and establish warning systems.

Keys also stated the NSW practices were being undone by reduced funding and unsafe housing developments, giving the example of Maitland where "the council now wants to build hundreds of dwellings on the flood plain in and round the CBD".

[134] On 8 July 2014 legal firm Maurice Blackburn lodged a class action with the NSW Supreme Court on behalf of 4,000 flood victims.

[135] On 29 November 2019, the NSW Supreme Court ruled that the 6,800 class members who ultimately joined the action against the above defendants were victims of negligence.

[136] On 26 February 2021, the result of the legal action was a settlement of A$440 million in compensation, sourced from the Queensland government, Sunwater and the state-owned dam operator Seqwater.

[139] The drop lasted for around 18 months and has been attributed to Australia's arheic and endorheic basins which soaked up the water previously evaporated from the oceans.

According to an analyst at Macquarie Group almost all the available stockpiles of coking coal in Queensland were exhausted in late January 2011 due to reduced rail capacity.

[147] Four months after the floods the Dalrymple Bay coal terminal was operating at half its capacity as the open-cut mines in the region continued to deal with de-watering issues.

[151] Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that the government would impose a flood levy of between $1 and $5 a week on each household, with proceeds to fund reconstruction works.