LEADER of the Opposition Bill Shorten held back form political point scoring after a briefing from the Proserpine SES today.

Mr Shorten flew over the Whitsunday coast the day after Cyclone Debbie touched down last Thursday, he described the affected area from Bowen to Midge Point as "war zone" and he promised to return.

As Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull surveyed the damage created by devastating flood water in Lismore, NSW Mr Shorten received a briefing from Mark Connors of the Proserpine SES, Whitsunday mayor Andrew Willcox and the military contingent tasked with the clean up.

When quizzed about reports in the national media concening emergency relief funds only offering half what was made available through the community relief and recovery fund when cyclone Yasi hit in 2010 Mr Shorten declared he would investigate.

"We will find out what is happening with that. There is no doubt that this has been a natural disaster of some very significant dimension," he said.

"I want the people in this region to know that all Australians are thinking of them."

Asked about automated relief systems that have been telling people at ground zero in Airlie Beach and Cannonvale that they are not eligible for emergency assistance Mr Shorten didn't make any comment on the lack of efficiency from systems set up by the Queensland Palaszczuk Government.  

"There is no doubt in my mind people shouldn't be waiting for (emergency relief ) long periods of time," he said.

"They have been through a terrible experience and when they get support it shouldn't be viewed as charity it should be viewed as their right to get support and people shouldn't be made to jump through 10 hoops to get what is theirs."

Mr Shorten took a short walk from the council chambers down Main St.

He stopped at the free sausage sizzle outside the Westpac Bank before checking in on Tracey Cameron from Everything Office and More.

Ms Cameron's shop was destroyed after its roof was damaged and water entered the building.

"Of all the things that could happen you couldn't get much more catastrophic that this," she said.

She was disappointed that the Member for Dawson George Christensen and the Prime Minister Mr Turnbull have not shown up in the Whitsundays.

"If these guys can not front up and see all these people and do what Bill Shorten did -he came all the way from Canberra for this -and yet the one in Mackay and the other peanut, god knows where he is'?"

"How do you have confidence in theses guys as your representatives? You can't, and there is no excuse for it," Ms Cameron said.　

Mr Shorten will drive to Townsville before returning to the Whitsundays on the way south.