Natural disaster declared as floods wreak havoc

The NSW state government has already issued upwards of 35 natural disaster declarations to local government areas, while the SES says it has received more than 8,000 call outs so far.

Sydney regions affected include Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Campbelltown, Cumberland, Canterbury Bankstown, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Inner West, Ku-ring-gai, Liverpool, Northern Beaches, Parramatta, Penrith, Sutherland, The Hills and Wollondilly.

Regional locations such as Armidale, Bellingen, Central Coast, Cessnock, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour Dungog, Kempsey, Lake Macquarie City, Maitland City, Mid-Coast, Nambucca Valley, Newcastle, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Port Stephens, and Tenterfield also have disaster declarations in place.  

So far, 19 evacuation orders have been issued, with around 15,000 evacuated on the Mid North Coast and 3,000 people evacuated around the Hawkesbury River. 

The state government has also put in place a number of immediate support measures for affected communities. 

Funding packages will provide assistance for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged, support for local councils, and concessional interest rate loans for small businesses. 

According to the state’s minister for police and emergency services, David Elliott, the NSW government is already looking ahead to the recovery and ongoing assistance even though the disaster remains ongoing. 

“This assistance activates practical and immediate supports for communities, primary producers, small businesses, not-for-profits and councils,” he said. 

“We will stand side by side with our communities over coming weeks and months as we work through the significant recovery that lays ahead of us.” 

With more than 5,000 claims for damage to property already lodged with insurers, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has now declared a catastrophe for much of the state.

This means that claims from affected policyholders will be given priority by insurers, while claims will be triaged to direct urgent assistance to the worst-affected property owners. 

ICA representatives will be mobilised to work with local agencies and services and affected policyholders as soon as emergency services say it is safe to do so, with insurers also set to mobilise disaster response specialists who will assist affected customers with claims and assessments as soon as it is considered safe to do so.

The developing situation across South-East Queensland will also be monitored to determine if a catastrophe declaration is also required there.

Queensland minister for fire and emergency services, Mark Ryan, is currently urging people to heed warnings from agencies such as the Bureau of Meteorology.

“We are in a situation at the moment where very heavy downfalls of rain are occurring in very short periods of time, which is leading to dangerous situations arising very suddenly.

“It is imperative that people stay abreast of the weather warnings and also that everyone take a very cautious approach when driving on the roads,” he said.

Live or work in flood-affected property? The Insurance Council of Australia has issued the following advice to those residing within or operating a business within flood-affected property:

• Safety is the number one priority – don’t do anything that puts anyone at risk
• Only return to your property when emergency services give the go ahead
• If water has entered the property, don’t turn the electricity until it has been inspected by an electrician
• Contact your insurance company as soon as possible to lodge a claim and seek guidance on the claims process
• You can start cleaning up but first take pictures or videos of damage to the property and possessions as evidence for your claim
• Keep samples of materials and fabrics to show your insurance assessor
• Remove water or mud-damaged goods from property that might pose a health risk, such as saturated carpets and soft furnishings
• Make a list of each and every damaged item. Include a detailed description, such as brand, model and serial number where possible
• Store damaged or destroyed items somewhere safe
• Speak to your insurer before you attempt or authorise any building work, including emergency repairs, and ask for the insurer’s permission in writing. Unauthorised work may not be covered by your policy
• Do not throw away goods that could be salvaged or repaired.

This will be a developing story. REB will provide more information as it comes to light. 

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