Qld orders Callide Dam review

The Queensland government has ordered a review of the controversial operation of Callide Dam during Tropical Cyclone Marcia.

The dam has been the target of anger by local residents after its automatic floodgates opened while the region was being pounded by the category five storm on Friday night.

A two-metre-high wall of water broke the banks of Callide Creek and swept through Biloela, Jambin and Goovigen late that night - destroying homes and businesses, killing livestock and flattening crops.

The Inspector General of Emergency Management, Iain MacKenzie, has been asked to review "recent events relating to the Callide Dam", Emergency Services Minister Jo-Ann Miller announced on Wednesday.

The terms of reference will be provided to Ms Miller by the end of the week.

Mr MacKenzie, appointed to the post in 2013 after seven years as the QFS deputy commissioner, says his role starts even before a natural disaster unfolds.

"The office of Inspector General is responsible for setting standards for disaster management across the state," he told AAP.

"Most importantly, where there are things that are found that can be done better, we play a role in making sure we share that across the state so others can learn from it."

Many locals are upset because the operator, Sunwater, didn't release water before the storm hit and there was a lack of warning before the dam gates opened.

Sunwater has defended its handling of the disaster, saying the dam level rose seven meters in three hours during the "one-in-10,000-year" rain.

Mr MacKenzie was hesitant to comment on the events at Callide before the terms of reference was drawn up, but said emotions rightly rose to the forefront during times of hardship.

"It is a matter of recognising that ... they are all valid concerns and until we get through and discover the facts around things, we have to deal with those emotions," he said.