Premier Chris Minns hasn’t promised a home buyback scheme similar to what was implemented by the Coalition government in 2021. Credit: Dean Sewell
“Building inundation [has been] seen in many locations, and many have sustained significant damage and are uninhabitable,” SES Acting Assistant Commissioner Allison Flaxman said.
“We welcome the additional resources which will assist in undertaking damage assessments of properties and with ongoing resupply operations continue for residents isolated by floodwaters.”
Five people have died in the disaster, while more than 2400 emergency workers have been included in the emergency response.
Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) senior meteorologist Gabrielle Woodhouse described weather conditions as being in a “transition phase” ahead of a forceful cold front expected to bring strong swell, cold temperatures and wind gusts of up to 90km/h across the state in the next two days.
The Blue Mountains, Illawarra and Northern Tablelands are expected to face the strongest winds, though northern NSW residents have also been asked to stay alert as they continue clean-up operations.
“It does look likely that it’s going to be very windy right across the region, and we urge people to stay up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings,” Woodhouse said.
Flood-affected towns in northern NSW are expected to face strong winds next week. Credit: Kate Geraghty
“We are seeing that shift from the rain and flood situation that we’ve been experiencing over the last week to very windy conditions. We are going to be seeing a few showers … we’re still assessing what that’s going to mean for some of the river catchments.”
Current projections found it unlikely that rainfall over coming days would produce renewed river rises, but it would be closely monitored by the BOM.
Warragamba Dam, Sydney’s primary water supply reservoir, observed minor spilling overnight after reaching capacity on Saturday evening following days of heavy downpour, though it’s not expected to cause any significant impact to properties below the dam.
Premier Chris Minns would not commit to implementing a buyback scheme for property owners in flood-prone areas as the former Coalition government had announced following the 2021 northern NSW floods, saying on Saturday that his response would be focused on long-term resiliency for the region.
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Minns said that communities smashed by flooding were “in pain right now” as they came to terms with the tragedy of the past week.
“While the worst of the weather appears behind us, many towns are still cut off by the waters, with warnings still in place,” Minns said.
“These deaths are a shocking tragedy, but it’s important to know that this disaster could have been on a much larger scale. If it wasn’t for the bravery and professionalism of our emergency workers and volunteers, we may have been mourning hundreds of deaths this week.”
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