A multi-agency Strike Force has been mobilised with equipment and crews to work with flood-affected communities and help them realise their recovery efforts following the extreme floods that crossed the State earlier this month.
Minister for Disaster Recovery, John Barilaro said the Recovery Strike Force was comprised of personnel from NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire & Rescue NSW and the Australian Defence Force.
“Our priority right now is to ensure roads are accessible, places are safe for people to return, and to assist with washout and clean-up by removing bulk waste,” Mr Barilaro said.
“The 2019/20 bushfires and the clean-up and recovery efforts that followed taught us a great deal, and having worked on bushfire recovery for the past 15 months I will take that experience and those lessons with me to steer recovery following these extreme floods,” he said.
“With large parts of NSW impacted by flooding on a scale not seen for decades, our focus remains on protecting life and property.”
Mr Barilaro said Service NSW was working with Resilience NSW, State Agencies, local Government and the Federal Government to provide impacted people with access to accommodation advice; relevant charitable services; mental health and wellbeing services; support for businesses; clean-up services; financial assistance; as well as insurance and legal support.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the scale of rainfall and subsequent flooding required dedicated recovery efforts.
“Our emergency services personnel and volunteers have been outstanding in dealing with the wild weather and the floods, but the scale of rainfall has been enormous and the recovery process will be challenging,” Ms Berejiklian said.
