A multi-agency team including 400 personnel, helicopters, and equipment is being mobilised to help the clean-up effort following extreme floods across northern NSW.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the scale of rainfall over the past week and subsequent flooding requires a dedicated recovery effort.
“Our emergency service personnel and volunteers are doing an outstanding job dealing with the intense flooding but it is vital we get boots on the ground to begin the immense recovery process,” Mr Perrottet said.
“We are focused on making sure affected residents and businesses are safe and that they have everything they need to recover as soon as possible.”
Deputy Premier Paul Toole said emergency services are working around the clock to support their communities, alongside local government.
“I want to thank all our emergency services and volunteers for their tireless work in these extremely challenging circumstances and reassure our regional communities we have their back now and in the weeks and months ahead,” Mr Toole said.
“We are also working closely with local councils to coordinate waste collection and management to ensure services return as quick as possible and the long road to recovery can begin.”
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience Steph Cooke said the task force is comprised of personnel from the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), Fire & Rescue NSW and the Australian Defence Force.
“We are doing everything in our power to kickstart the clean-up effort, beginning today in the Northern Rivers region now that the all-clear has been issued by the NSW State Emergency Service,” Ms Cooke said.
“With floodwaters now receding around Lismore, three RFS trucks have successfully travelled from Coffs Harbour to Wollongbar equipped with supplies to create a base camp.
“The immense scale of the flooding is unprecedented and we are putting equally unprecedented resources into the significant clean-up and long-term recovery effort.”
