Premier’s ‘apology’ to storm-smashed community

NSW Premier Chris Minns has “apologised” to storm-smashed communities that a major lifeline for many people “just can’t” stay open.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has “apologised” to storm-ravaged communities in the state’s north as the government prepares to close down evacuation centres.

Tens of thousands of residents in Lismore and the Northern Rivers region were ordered to evacuate last week as then-Cyclone Alfred battered the region.

Speaking from Sydney on Monday, Mr Minns said as evacuation orders were lifted in storm-affected regions, evacuation centres would be closed down.

“As the Premier, I am fully aware of the significant challenges to housing in the Northern Rivers,” he said.

“Evacuation centres are not permanent solutions. They just can’t (stay open).

“We don’t have the resources, the staffing, the time, the allocation.

“In many cases, they are community centres, licensed premises or university facilities that need to be returned facilities to those communities.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the state government would close evacuation centres. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

Mr Minns “apologised in advance” that the government would have to “draw a very clear and understood line” about the closures.

“We will not continue to operate them, and as the day wears on, we will be closing down evacuation centres,” he said.

He went on to add: “We’ve got a real, pressing housing problem, particularly on the north coast.

“I think that the Northern Rivers region is one of the highest areas of homelessness in the state, if not the country.

“They (emergency centres) cannot operate any longer than they were intended to … There are a whole range of other issues that we have to deal with.

“I want to be very clear with the community, once the evacuation order has been lifted for that community, we are not going to continue to run the evacuation centre.

“We’re not doing it in a heartless way. We’re just being realistic about what we can stand up in a safe way across a vast geographic area in a short space of time.”

Severe weather warnings forecasting heavy rainfall and possible flooding were still in place on Monday for much of the state’s north.

Bureau of Meteorology manager of decision support services Jane Golding said the state’s north could expect more rain for “a good couple of days”.

“The remnants are tropical cyclone outbreak still sitting over South East Queensland and northern NSW, and we’re expecting to see rain more generally,” she said.

Businesses move back into Molesworth St in the Lismore CBD as evacuation orders are lifted. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

Brad Rickard (left) and Darcey Lasksaj move back into their cafe. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

It was all sytems go for business owners in Lismore. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

“The risk of heavy rains and heavy totals is really just this morning and early afternoon, so that’s some good news.”

NSW SES Deputy Commissioner Damien Johnston said the agency was still concerned about the Clarence, Richmond and Tweed rivers.

With evacuation warnings lifted overnight in the Lismore CBD, as well as south and East Lismore, he said rescuers were closely monitoring North Lismore.

He said about 10,200 people and 4500 dwellings were under emergency warnings statewide.

About 1800 people also remained isolated, including potentially from food and medicine.

Army personnel remained deployed in the Lismore area. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

The Southern Cross University was being used as an evacuation centre. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

In the past 24 hours, rescuers had reported more than 1100 calls for assistance and more than 600 incidents.

“I understand the community’s urgency with getting back into the homes,” Mr Johnston said.

“We want to make sure we can do that as soon as possible, and we’re working quickly to remove waters as it’s safe to do so.

“When you do get the return safely notification we urge you to do so and assess your risk, there can be lots of hazards resulting from flood waters.”

Hundreds of schools across NSW and Queensland were expected to remain closed with less than 10,000 homes in the Northern Rivers still without power.

Mr Minns said businesses in Lismore, which was ravaged by storms in 2022, were preparing to reopen their doors for trade “as soon as possible”.

The threat of ex-Cyclone Alfred is expected to dissipate in coming days. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg said residents had been advised they could return with caution after “packing up and preparing for the worst”.

“We came back down yesterday afternoon just to get our coffee machine working, just to get a little bit income through the door,” he told Sunrise.

“But we’re a couple of days away from being back to full operation and every other business is the same.

“There’s still a long way to go for us to get back to some sort of normality – hopefully before the end of the week.”

Mr Krieg called on the state and federal governments to invest in the region in the wake of the cyclone.

“They’re really quick to make announcements about you (but) no actual work gets done,” he said.

“After 2022, this is where people want to work, live, raise their family.

“We’ve got investors in the private sector who want to make Lismore their base.

“We just need the state and federal governments to back us in, spend this bit of money.”

Originally published as Premier’s ‘apology’ to storm-smashed community