Qld councillor calls for floods settlement

A Queensland councillor impacted by the state's devastating floods five years ago has called on the government and its dam operators to settle with victims to avoid prolonged court action.

Ipswich councillor Paul Tully is one of 5000 or so flood victims part of a class action brought on by Maurice Blackburn Lawyers who are suing the Queensland Government and dam operators Seqwater.

The largest class action in Australian history, the case had to be brought before the NSW Supreme Court because Queensland doesn't have a class action regime.

Although a hearing date was set for July this year, Mr Tully said claimants were recently told their case had been delayed until at least 2017.

He said it could be 10 years after the flood before a decision was made, if the losing party exhausts all its appeals.

"These are real people still suffering financially and emotionally and any further delays are totally unacceptable," Mr Tully said.

"Flood victims deserve a prompt settlement of their claims without the need for expensive courtroom litigation where the only real winners will be the lawyers."

He urged the state government and Seqwater to look for a way to settle the class action without further delays.

The floods left behind a $2.38 billion trail of destruction, with 200,000 people affected.

The class action claims dam operator, government-owned Seqwater, was negligent during the 2011 crisis.

As the rain pelted down and water backed up, operators made large releases to prevent Wivenhoe Dam collapsing.

Class action lawyers claim the result was unnecessary flooding in Brisbane and Ipswich.