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Australian doctors are facing a crisis after a "decade of neglect", with warnings the costs of running general practices are becoming too much to bear.

GPs say a lack of government support has forced them to either charge patients more or close practices, with Health Minister Mark Butler stating Medicare needs a "comprehensive revamp" to make clinics viable.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Nicole Higgins said frozen Medicare rebates and poor indexation hadn't kept up with the cost of delivering health care.

"GPs have subsidised that for a long time. We can no longer afford to subsidise our patient care," she said.

Dr Higgins said the gap fee was increasing as GPs coped with the cost of living "like everybody else".

"GPs are seeing sicker, more complex patients ... we are the cost-efficient engine room of the healthcare system," she said.

"You don't notice us until we're broken and that's what's happening now."

Mr Butler agreed frozen Medicare rebates were the source of the issue but said broader structural issues were also at play.

"Our general practice right now is in the worst shape it has been in the 40-year history of Medicare," he told ABC TV.

"We're no orphans. We're seeing this across the developed world but there are some particular challenges here in Australia that we are determined as a new government to fix."

The minister said digital connections between primary health, hospitals and aged and disability care were "not up to scratch".

Mr Butler said significant workforce issues had led to fewer than 14 per cent of medical graduates choosing general practice.

"Not too long ago it was half of medical graduates coming out of university were choosing to go into general practice," he said.

Mr Butler has worked with medical and patient groups to investigate problems with Medicare, with a final report to be published within weeks and funding to flow in the federal budget.

Dr Higgins said there were opportunities for innovation but the system needed urgent repair.

"What we really need to do at the moment is urgently stem the bleeding in general practice ... we need to ensure we actually have a viable general practice to continue to reform," she said.

"We've had a decade of neglect. It's underfunded and undervalued."

Health is expected to dominate discussions when national cabinet meets again in February, with the premiers of Victoria and NSW putting forward their own policy plans to ease pressure on hospitals.

Mr Butler said the federal government was already pumping money into strengthening Medicare, assisting rural GPs and delivering urgent care centres to take pressure off hospitals.

He said a concerted effort was required from the Commonwealth in consultation with the sector and the states.

© AAP 2023

Residents of the Mackay region in North Queensland are ready to start a big cleanup after days of heavy rain and flooding.

Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson said things were looking a lot brighter on Wednesday morning and the weather was clearing.

"The system looks like it's going to clear away from the coast today then the big cleanup starts," he told Nine's Today program.

About 50 roads in the area are still flooded, and the SES responded to more than 70 calls for help, mostly for leaking roofs.

"The highway to the north of us is in pretty bad condition, but, look ... we've got our crews out ready to go out.

"We've had a lot of water around, and now we'll just get back to life as normal, hopefully."

Mr Williamson also said he expected the highway would reopen around midday.

While there was good news for Mackay on Wednesday, conditions remain uncertain elsewhere due to ongoing rainfall.

Dozens of travellers are also stranded after severe storms drenched the region, inundating roads and properties.

The Bureau of Meteorology said scattered showers are expected over the state's central and northern regions, with possible heavy rain to come in the tropical north.

"We finally see the low that's been delivering those phenomenal rainfall totals, over a metre now in some places, move out to sea," senior forecaster Harry Clark told ABC Brisbane.

"It's taking the heavy rainfall with it, which is great news for those communities."

The Mackay Regional Council warned people living in the Sandy Creek, Eton and Kinchant Dam areas could see more flooding in low-lying parts moving into Wednesday.

"Make sure you have enough food, water, medicine and pet food for two days. Stay away from rivers and creeks. Stay informed because conditions may change overnight."

Acting premier Steven Miles said the priority would be ensuring locals had adequate access to food, water and other supplies, with some areas likely to be isolated for days.

"Our concern at this stage is resupply for those communities who are now isolated," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"Those communities may be isolated for days or even up to a week."

© AAP 2023

Organisers will scramble to cram 22 cancelled or postponed first-round singles matches into day three of the Australian Open after extreme heat delays were compounded by night-time downpours at Melbourne Park.

Australians Thanasi Kokkinakis, Max Purcell and Aleksandar Vukic are among the players who will have to finish their respective matches on Wednesday after rain saw play suspended late on Tuesday night.

As of Tuesday night, 10 matches had been cancelled and another 12 postponed at varying stages.

They will all need to be recommenced or started on Wednesday, when the other side of the draw will start the second round.

Kokkinakis was only five points away from a surprisingly easy straight-sets win over Fabio Fognini, leading 6-1 6-2 4-2 with the Italian serving at 15-40.

Vukic was part way through his clash with American qualifier Brandon Holt, trailing 6-4 1-6 4-2.

Purcell was about to enter a potentially decisive fourth-set tiebreak with Emil Ruusuvuori, down 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-6.

The extreme heat policy was enacted for the best part of three hours on a scorching day two of the Australian Open, with action suspended on the outside courts at Melbourne Park on a day when the temperature peaked at 37C.

Action continued throughout the break with the roof closed on Rod Laver Arena, John Cain Arena and Margaret Court Arena, while play eventually resumed on all courts shortly after 1700 (AEDT).

But play later had to be suspended for a second time on the outside courts at around 2000 after a sudden downpour hit Melbourne Park, with none of those matches allowed to resume until 2100 (AEDT) - and either postponed again or never resuming.

Meanwhile women's No.1 Iga Swiatek and No.3 Jessica Pegula are in action on Rod Laver Arena during the day on Wednesday, as is men's top seed Rafael Nadal.

One of the most hotly-anticipated match-ups will be 2021 US Open champion Emma Radacanu's night-time clash with fellow young gun Coco Gauff.

Resurgent Australian Jason Kubler will take on US Open semi-finalist Karen Khachanov while countrymen John Millman and Rinky Hijikata face tough tasks against Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas respectively.

Youngster Olivia Gadecki will attempt to reach the third round when she takes on Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk on Kia Arena.

© AAP 2023