Lismore floods: Mayor Steve Krieg reveals personal cost of flood tragedy

Lismore mayor Steve Krieg is suffering insomnia as he tries to help 50,000 recover while dealing with the loss of his own family home and business. It comes as residents are being warned of a ‘zoonotic disease’ threat. Free update

Lismore’s flood-weary mayor has revealed he’s battling insomnia as he tries to help a region of 50,000 recover while dealing with the loss of his own family home and business.

Steve Krieg has been providing regular updates to his community on Facebook, the latest being at 1am on Monday where he revealed the State Emergency Service had lifted the main evacuation order, meaning people could return to the CBD, North Lismore and South Lismore.

But he says roads in the region are “wrecked” with residents urged to undertake only essential travel and conserve fuel.

The mayor has been reluctant to talk much about his own personal situation but earlier, in a television cross, told how he and his family sold their home on higher ground in Goonellabah to protect 20 jobs at their restaurant.

Cr Krieg and his wife Julianna own La Baracca Espresso Bar & Trattoria.

He was elected after running as an independent at the 2021 election.

“We made the choice in 2017 to either keep the house and sell or lose the business, or lose the house and keep the business.

“When you have a responsibility for staff it’s a pretty easy decision so we sold our house.”

Premier Dominic Perrottet meets with Wayne Ryan in Coraki, a town that has only just opened up again after being cut off for days. Picture: Toby Zerna

He said they bought a little two bedroom flat at the back of the restaurant and the family of five moved in, including his daughters, aged 14, 12 and 9.

“One of them uses the walk-in robe as a bedroom,” he said.

“We’ve been living there for the last five years.’’

The mayor said the record 14m flood was devastating.

Members of the ADF start erecting tents outside the evacuation centre in Coraki. Picture: Toby Zerna

“Basically you couldn’t see the top of our roof on Monday afternoon,’’ he told breakfast television.

“I nearly saw it on a … news report … but I had to turn away because if I saw it I would start crying.”

The mayor said his wife and family had been helping out at the major Lismore evacuation centre.

“I am so proud of my family.

“My wife is here in the evacuation centre … cuddling babies, helping where she can, having a good old cry every five minutes.’’

“My daughters are here, the 14-year-old and 12-year-old both helping out.’

“For us it is taking our mind off of our own loss.’’

In his latest update on Facebook, Cr Krieg said the clean-up in Lismore was continuing.

He urged people to keep cars away from clean-up areas and children.

“I have had a number of reports of people looking too closely and situations becoming dangerous,” he said.

He also reported the “great news” that water supply had been secured.

“Love and hugs to you Lismore, and also to our villages, farmers, and communities who are doing it tough,” he said.

“My prayers and thoughts are with you.”

‘Third world’: PM slammed on floods

Scott Morrison has been confronted live on air over the plight of families still stranded in the Lismore and NSW’s Northern Rivers regions and how many troops are actually on the ground helping with the clean up.

A week after the floods first hit the region, families remain cut off without food and are begging the government for more help with the flood clean up.

“We’re not a Third World country. How do we still have entire communities cut off and stranded?’’ 2GB radio host Ben Fordahm said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been in isolation with Covid over the last week and unable to visit the region. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The Prime Minister, who has been in isolation with Covid over the last week and unable to visit the region, responded that the natural disaster that had ripped through the region was the worst in living memory.

“Well, these are terrible, terrible floods, as you’ve said,’’ Mr Morrison said.

“These are floods that we have not seen in living memory in anyone’s lifetime, and even before that.

“And so I can understand the great frustration you’re seeing expressed. At the same time, there is an enormous effort that is being put in to get to everywhere that people can get to – the SES, I know the Premier has spoken about that, the tasking of the Defence Forces.

“You know, there’s 2,000, not just there in the Northern Rivers, but also responding to the flood crisis in south east Queensland and what we’ve seen here closer in here to Sydney.”

Flood waters, muddy soil spark ‘zoonotic disease’ warning

SafeWork NSW is urging people to be wary of flood waters and muddy soil that could be contaminated by an infectious zoonotic disease.

Leptospirosis is transmitted to humans from domestic and wild animals including mice and rats, livestock, pigs, pets and wildlife.

It can cause flu-like symptoms such as fever and chills, headaches, muscle aches, cough, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and conjunctivitis.

SafeWork NSW Director of Health and Safe Design Jim Kelly said outbreaks are common after floods and are usually associated with flood water contaminated with the urine or tissues of infected animals.

“People most at risk are those who have close contact with animals or who are exposed to water, mud, soil, or plants that have been contaminated,” Mr Kelly said.

“This could be anyone in a flood scenario as the contaminated water and mud are spread across properties and many people are involved in rescues, repairs and clean-up work.”

Anyone cleaning is urged to wear waterproof shoes or boots, gloves and ensure all broken skin is covered with a waterproof dressing. Goggles and aprons are also recommended.

Symptoms usually develop between five and 14 days following infection – although it can develop from two to 30 days and last from a few days to three weeks, or longer.Leptospirosis can be treated with antibiotics prescribed by a doctor however testing can take time and the disease can be severe. Anyone with symptoms should contact their doctor.

nbn customers have services restored

Major restoration of the nbn network across northern New South Wales has occurred overnight.

There are now approximately 9500 homes and businesses impacted by outages on the nbn network, decreased from 79,500 yesterday.

Around 56,500 homes and businesses came back online after power was restored to the Woodburn Fibre Access Node late yesterday.

Other restorations have been successful in the Tweed, Casino and Ocean Shores areas.

The small township of Coraki, south of Lismore has opened up to some roads again after being cut off by flood waters for most of the week with some homes along Martin St still under water. Picture: Toby Zerna

Areas still impacted include Lismore and some smaller communities where access due to landslides and road closures is still a problem.

Nbn says it will have more teams on the ground on Monday morning.

It has also deployed satellite Fly Away Kits to the Alstonville Leisure and Entertainment Centre, the Ballina Sport and Recreation Centre and the Lennox Head Cultural Centre, which provide free Wi-Fi connectivity via the Sky Muster satellite service.

Lismore street closures for clean up

The clean-up effort is well underway as various crews focus on particular streets and parts of Lismore and surrounds.

To help ensure the clean-up effort can proceed in the most efficient way, Lismore City Council needs to close a number of streets each day as the operation moves towards residential areas.

CBD inner laneways – Larkin Ln, Eggins Ln, County Ln, Nesbitt Ln and Carrington St. Traffic control will be in place so please stay clear.

Molesworth St -Zadoc St to Woodlark St. Traffic control will be in place, please stay clear.

Magellan St – Dawson St to Molesworth Street. Traffic control will be in place, please stay clear.

Terania St. Traffic control will be in place, please stay clear.

Casino St. Traffic control will be in place, please stay clear.

Wyrallah Rd. Traffic control will be in place, please stay clear.

Ballina Rd from Dibbs St to Wyrallah Rd. Traffic control will be in place, please stay clear.

Titans muscle up as rain continues

The nearest NRL franchise to the Northern Rivers will donate more than $100,000 to assist with flood recovery.

Gold Coast Titans CEO Steve Mitchell says the NRL club wants to ensure funds reach those who need it most.

The Titans’ donation will come in two parts.

$50,000 into the NRL’s relief fund which will go towards assisting grassroots footy clubs who have been hit hard, and;

$10 from every ticket sold to their first home match of the 2022 season - against the New Zealand Warriors on Saturday, March 19.

“We’ve said we’ll be putting in over $100,000, but that number will rise even further if we have a packed house,” Mr Mitchell said.

“We know once the water disappears, the recovery continues, and we want to make sure we’re continuing to support where we can across our region.”

Meanwhile, rain continues to belt down on an already sodden Coffs Harbour catchment.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for heavy rainfall and damaging winds for the Mid North Coast, Hunter, Metropolitan, Illawarra, South Coast, Southern Tablelands, Australian Capital Territory and parts of Central Tablelands, North West Slopes and Plains, Snowy Mountains and Northern Tablelands forecast districts.

Heavy rainfall is expected across eastern NSW on Monday, March 7, with winds increasing on Tuesday.