NSW floods: Natural disaster declared in 17 NSW council areas
The NSW Premier has promised to help thousands of Northern Rivers residents left destitute by the catastrophic floods in the region.
NSW
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The NSW Premier has promised to help thousands of Northern Rivers residents left destitute by the catastrophic floods in the region.
Dominic Perrottet has revealed more than 300,000 people had been impacted by emergency warnings, including 40,000 people evacuated under 26 evacuation orders.
Natural disasters have been declared in 17 affected council areas, meaning they will be eligible for immediate state and federal government support, including emergency accommodation and clean-up assistance.
But Mr Perrottet said today‘s focus was on “saving lives”.
“Today we are focused on rescue, that is number one... there is a greater focus on rescue and aerial support ( in Lismore and the Richmond Valley) right now ,” Mr Perrottet said.
“But this will very quickly move to recovery and we‘ll be doing everything we can, working around the clock to ensure that no one is left behind, that every person is back on their feet.”
Mr Perrottet said more than 15,000 claims for flood damage had already been made to insurance companies and “many more” were expected.
He said despite a “difficult time”, NSW would pull through.
“We’ve gone through a difficult time over the past few years, whether it’s through bushfires or floods, here we are again,” the premier said.
NSW Police have sent a memo to all commanders requesting that they help in emergency staffing for the Tweed/Richmond area.
The memo stated at least 200 officers from general duties, investigators, public order and riot squad and forensic police are needed immediately.
It is expected staff will be deployed to the area for at least the next seven days.
THE 17 AFFECTED COUNCIL AREAS
Armidale
Ballina
Bellingen
Byron
Clarence Valley
Coffs Harbour
Glenn Innes Severn
Hornsby
Kempsey
Kyogle
Lismore
Nambucca
Port Macquarie/Hastings
Richmond
Tenterfield
The Hills
Tweed
NSW WEATHER CHAOS TO CONTINUE
Premier Dominic Perrottet held a series of urgent phone calls with Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday to secure financial support for NSW flood victims as devastated victims were plucked from roofs and rising water.
The Commonwealth has assured Mr Perrottet of its support, both financially and logistically, as 200 Australian Defence Force personnel arrived in the devastated Far North Coast.
Flanked by NSW Police deputy commissioner Mal Lanyon, State Emergency Service Commissioner Carlene York and Resilience NSW chief Shane Fitzsimmons in scenes reminiscent of the 2019 bushfires, Mr Perrottet vowed to help every victim.
“We will be there to get every single person back on their feet once these floods have passed,” Mr Perrottet said at the Rural Fire Service headquarters which have been converted into a flood crisis management hub.
“We have already had discussions with the Prime Minister in relation to disaster declarations and that process is currently in place and is underway … He has indicated whatever support we need from the Commonwealth, they will provide, and that’s not just in operational and logistics support, it’s also in financial support as we move through.”
Mr Perrottet delivered an ominous warning that the weather was likely to get worse and urged people to follow advice from emergency services.
“What we are seeing is unprecedented and the advice we have received is that we would expect things to get worse. If you are subject to one of these warnings, please do not be complacent.”
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Grahame Reader said Monday’s horrific scenes were only “the beginning of a very significant weather event for NSW” with the chaos heading to the south coast from Wednesday.
“We will have severe weather warning, damaging winds, significant seas and swells, and flooding continuing … probably from the Hunter Region down,” he said.
“The weather will get very hairy and very wild … The Wilsons River at Lismore is currently higher than 1954 and 1974 levels which is unprecedented.
“Dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding is still likely to occur.”
A dozen evacuation orders were in place on Monday impacting 16,000 residents while another six regions had evacuation warnings in place with 14,000 impacted residents.
Four ADF aircraft are on their way to the region to assist with what Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke described as “a natural disaster of unprecedented proportions”.
“Let me state unequivocally – our priority is about saving lives. We have teams from every single emergency response organisation,” she said,
“We are seeing vision of people stranded, people stuck on the roofs … These conditions are different to anything you will have experienced before,” she said.
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