The NSW premier will visit Lismore as the city faces its worst ever flood crisis which left six people dead and looks set to cost insurers hundreds of millions of dollars.
The cost of the floods in NSW alone is now more than $240 million, according to the Insurance Council of Australia, who said estimates from the total number of claims from NSW and Queensland peaked over $1 billion on Friday afternoon.
The ICA said it had received 67,537 flood-related claims, 24 per cent from NSW and 76 per cent from southeast Queensland.
“Based on previous flood events the estimated current cost of claims is now just over $1 billion,” the ICA said.
Six deaths have been confirmed in the state’s floods, the most recent a man believed to be in his 40s whose body was found near Terragon, south of Murwillumbah, on Friday afternoon.
Deputy Premier Paul Toole announced farmers will be able to access $15,000 immediately through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
Grants of up to $75,000 are available for primary producers in disaster-declared local government areas.
“We know it’s going to be a long road to recovery for our farmers, however this funding means they’ll have access to immediate support as well as in the crucial period of rebuilding ahead,” he said Saturday.
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter carried out five rescues on Friday, including in northern NSW, as the town of Coraki, south of Lismore, remains isolated by floodwaters.
The helicopter crew also assisted people living west of Mullumbimby after a landslide in the area.
Concerns have been raised about the depth of the government’s preparation, resourcing and response to the disastrous floods, with Premier Dominic Perrottet acknowledging on Friday it was likely mistakes were made.
Those will be identified when the government conducts its reviews and the premier pledged to “resource every level of government to a level that will provide protection to the people of our state”.
Mr Perrottet, who will visit Lismore on Saturday, announced Emergency Services Minister Steph Cook will soon take on the role of Flood Recovery Minister.
“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,” Ms Cook said.
About 400 NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire & Rescue NSW and Australian Defence Force personnel have also been deployed to help the clean-up effort.
Flood risks continue further south, as the SES warns moderate flooding was occurring on the Hawkesbury River on Saturday morning at Windsor, Sackville, where evacuation orders remain in place, and there are fears of flooding at Wiseman’s Ferry.
Continued forecast rains on Sunday could trigger flood waters to rise from major to moderate levels, the SES warned.
In Penrith, flooding on the Nepean has eased and river levels are below the minor level at 3.88 metres, although the SES warns renewed rises are possible on Sunday with current forecasts.
Residents of Tuggerah Lake and surrounds have also been told to evacuate from low-lying areas after heavy rainfall and “abnormally high tides” caused the Wyong River and Tuggerah Lake catchments to rise.
The SES evacuated residents from Croki on the Mid North Coast early Saturday morning as the BoM warns of possible flooding of the Manning River.
NSW will continue to be affected by severe thunderstorms and isolated areas of heavy rainfall on the north coast until Sunday, the BoM warned.
“Depending on where these storms develop, further river rises are possible over the coming days due to already saturated catchments,” the BoM said in a statement.
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