Receding NSW floodwaters reveal damage

(AAP) - Six NSW council areas have been declared natural disaster areas as floodwaters in the state's north slowly recede, revealing the immense scale of the damage.

About 370 millimetres of rain fell across the NSW mid-north coast over the five days
from last Friday, with the resulting floodwaters isolating towns, inundating homes
and forcing evacuations.
While the roads into Bellingen reopened on Wednesday, about 700 people were still
cut off from the outside world in the Upper Kalang Valley and the Darkwood area
north of Thora.
Three evacuation centres housing about 20 people at Kendall, Urunga and Wauchope,
south of Coffs Harbour, have now closed down, but state Community Services Minister
Linda Burney said they would reopen if needed.
By Wednesday afternoon, the SES had responded to 1,020 requests for assistance from
residents across NSW during the past six days.
Most of the requests came from residents of the mid north coast, including Port
Macquarie, Kempsey and Taree.
A spokesman from the Bureau of Metrology said while further showers were expected
throughout the area over the next few days, the heavy rain had ceased.
"We're not looking at anymore widespread heavy rain that causes rivers to flood," he
said.
Thunderstorms, however, were likely to strike the state's mid-west on Thursday, from
Bourke to Coonamble.
The Bellingen, Coffs Harbour, Nambucca, Kempsey, and Port Macquarie-Hastings council
areas have now joined Bourke in being declared natural disaster areas, allowing
businesses, residents and councils to receive state government assistance.
"The declaration may be extended to other local government areas as ongoing
assessments are carried out," a spokeswoman for Emergency Services Minister Steve
Whan said.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Attorney General Robert McClelland said the federal
government would reimburse the NSW government for personal hardship assistance given
to people whose properties were damaged.
It will also provide loans at concessional interest rates to primary producers,
small businesses and non-profit bodies to replace facilities which have been damaged
or destroyed by floods.
There will be grants to local councils to meet the additional costs of emergency
work to restore essential services and assistance to sporting clubs to restore
damaged facilities.
Bellingen Shire Mayor Mark Troy said council would have a better idea of damage
later this week, but in Port Macquarie alone early estimates put the bill at about
$2 million.
Private businesses spoke of damage worth tens of thousands of dollars as
flood-affected homeowners were encouraged to lodge insurance claims.
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) was on Wednesday briefed by the SES.
"While there are properties in western NSW and the Clarence, Oxley and Hunter
regions that have been subject to flood water, at this stage the most significant
damage appears to have been sustained by local government and state infrastructure,
such as roads and bridges," ICA executive director Kerrie Kelly said.
"The Insurance Council encourages policyholders to make contact with their insurance
company and seek advice about the claim process under your policy."
The state government has warned the remains of a tropical cyclone is expected to
reach Lord Howe Island, off Australia's east coast, around midnight on Wednesday.
A spokesman from the SES said it was monitoring the situation and was prepared to
respond if required.
People needing information on how to claim the assistance are asked to call the
State Disaster Recovery Centre on 1800 018 444.