Floodwaters continue to cause chaos across New South Wales but severe weather warnings in Queensland have been downgraded.
Look back on our blog for all the news from Friday, March 4.
Key events
- Fifth flood-related death confirmed in northern NSW
- Emergency Services Minister Stephanie Cooke to be appointed Minister for Flood Recovery
- NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet warns people not be be complacent
- Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk apologises for inconvenience to parents
- IN FULL: Watch today's NSW flood update with the SES and Bureau of Meteorology
- Evacuation centres in south-east Queensland
- More flood evacuation orders issued in Sydney
- South-east Queensland schools closed today
- Evacuation centres in NSW
- Evacuation warning issued for part of Wisemans Ferry
Live updates
By Ian Burrows
IN FULL: Watch today's press conference from NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet
By Daniel Colasimone
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk addresses the media
By Daniel Colasimone
NSW evacuation alerts
By Daniel Colasimone
Where to find emergency assistance and information
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For emergency assistance, contact SES in NSW or QLD on 132 500.
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If your life is at risk, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
- For the latest weather updates visit the Bureau of Meteorology in Queensland here or in NSW here
- ABC Emergency contains planning and advice, an incident map and more
- Roads and bridges may be impacted by flash flooding. You can find more information in Queensland here
- Other emergency updates can be found at Queensland Fire and Emergency Services
- If you're not sure what to do when there's a flood, here's the best way to plan
Listen to ABC Local Radio for regular updates:
- ABC Wide Bay on 100.1fm + 855am or stream online
- ABC Brisbane on 612am or online
- ABC Sunshine Coast on 90.3fm Nambour and Gympie 95.3fm or the live stream
- ABC North Coast on 94.5fm or online here
By Georgia Hitch
Bye for now!
That's me, and the blog, done for the time being. Hope you have a great weekend and stay safe and dry.
By Georgia Hitch
More rain and storms on the way
It's not the news a lot of people in south-east Queensland and NSW want to hear, but there's more wet weather on the way over the weekend.
The ABC's Kate Doyle has broken down what people in the eastern states, including Victoria, can expect over the next couple of days, but the main thing is: rain.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast from Mackay in Queensland, all the way through to Sydney and also in Gippsland on Sunday.
Next week isn't looking great either, with another east coast low on the way.
By Georgia Hitch
Good news alert!
I figure we all deserve a bit of good news after this week, and heading into what will no doubt be a long recovery.
So, I give you the story of DJ the dog who was found after being lost in floodwaters for three nights.
DJ was rescued after a six-hour mission using a jet ski and a boat, where 10 other dogs and six cats were also saved.
I won't tell you anymore but I'd highly recommend reading the rest of the story here.
By Ian Burrows
Logging off
Leaving you with Georgia Hitch for the last bit of this blog. Hoping there's not too much rain this weekend!
By Georgia Hitch
Power outage updates
Crews in Queensland and NSW have been working over the past few days to restore power to the tens of thousands of people who lost it during the wild weather.
The latest update from Energex is that just under 10,000 customers in Queensland are still without power.
You can keep an eye on which areas are still experiencing outages here.
In NSW just over 11,600 customers are without power.
Essential Energy says it restored power to 2,100 customers over the course of today.
You can see a breakdown of which spots a still without powere here.
By Ian Burrows
Hussy Hicks band members rescue 87yo from Lismore floods
Like thousands of others, Leesa Gentz and Julz Parker, aka the band Hussy Hicks, have seen their property destroyed in Lismore's life-threatening floods.
While they helped save the life of their elderly neighbour earlier this week, the pair warn the trauma being felt across the community won't recede with the floodwaters.
"There's people in their 80s who did that on their own and their bodies were discovered," Parker said.
"It's the reality of the levels of trauma people have experienced.
"We're OK but there's going to be a lot of people who aren't."
Hussy Hicks are Gold Coast-based but have a studio in Lismore near the Wilsons River.
Gentz said they were aware of the area's flood risk but that this event exceeded any expectations.
By Georgia Hitch
Government defends disaster agency chief
The federal government has defended the head of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency, after the opposition called for him to be sacked for "victim blaming" those impacted by the most recent floods before the waters have even receded.
Shane Stone is the coordinator-general of the Agency, and told Nine Newspapers that some flooded homes shouldn't be rebuilt and residents of the flood-prone areas needed to "face realities".
Emergency Management Minister Bridget McKenzie defended Mr Stone, saying he's a "straight shooter".
"He says what he thinks and he doesn't shy away from the tough conversations," she said.
"These will obviously be conversations that we'll be having as they are after each and every natural disaster."
Read the full story from political reporter Tom Lowrey here.
By Ian Burrows
Fairfield's local grocery store reopens …
But it seems there wasn't a whole lot to buy.
By Georgia Hitch
Severe thunderstorm warning for Maryborough, Hervey Bay
A severe thunderstorm warning for damaging wind gusts and heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding has been issued for parts of Queensland.
The areas that could be impacted include Maryborough, Hervey Bay, Tiaro and K'gari (Fraser Island).
By Ian Burrows
Community bands together for massive Mullumbimby clean-up
There’s a massive community clean-up effort underway in Mullumbimby, north of Byron Bay.
Many here have felt frustrated at the lack of organisational support and boots on the ground.
Donations from residents are coming thick and fast, while clean-up requests are being managed on a whiteboard outside the Civic Memorial Centre.
Volunteers are turning up, then being sent off straight away to help out at the many properties that were inundated with floodwaters earlier this week.
Slightly out of town, landslides have cut off many properties around the area, making journeys to deliver crucial supplies incredibly challenging.
Community organiser Ella Goninan said the response was phenomenal.
“We have mobilised as a community — massive scale support,” Ms Goninan said.
“The emergency services, official services and council have been here and around but also with their hands tied in whatever ways each of them get their hands tied across the chain.”
Mullumbimby resident Jenny Moore has been here for almost four decades.
She was rescued — but now a community team of about a dozen are helping her throw everything out of her house.
Phil Holloway from the Byron Shire Council said requests had been made for urgent assistance,
“There’s lot of effort going in to providing relief through different agencies," he said.
"It’s an ongoing situation, obviously huge areas that have been impacted and we’re just hoping people can hang on there.”
Reporting by Timothy Swanston and Rachel Mealey. Pictures by Timothy Swanston
By Georgia Hitch
NSW school closures
Have you any news on what will happen with kids where their schools have been inundated? Lots of little state schools in Northern NSW will be shut for awhile (indefinitely?). Wondering if there’s any info?
-Renee
Hey Renee, I've had a bit of a hunt on the NSW Education Department website but haven't been able to find anything concrete about what the plan is for some of those damaged schools in the longer-term. That could be that some of them are still figuring that out though, given how recent the damage is.
For now, the only info the NSW government has up is this list of the schools that are temporarily closed.
If I see or hear of anymore information though I'll let you know here!
By Ian Burrows
'We're the lucky ones'
Ross Gerard spent the last two nights rescuing his beloved animals from his flooded paddocks in South Windsor.
His five cows, 13 ewes, eight lambs, 20 chooks and one lucky pig named Doris — who alone took three hours to be saved — are now safe and dry, grazing on Mr Gerard’s front lawn.
Despite losing multiple sheds, the chicken coop and other structures, Mr Gerard is grateful he had time to save his animals from rising flood waters.
“When you see the news and see how much others have lost — they’re in dire straits — we’re the lucky ones.”
By Georgia Hitch
Who is eligible for the disaster payments?
Just wondering if the emergency disaster payment will include people who thankfully didn’t have the house wrecked but got no power for 6 days now? Also are students on a temporary visa are eligible?
-Keytrin
Thanks for the question Keytrin.
According to the federal government, you can apply for the disaster payment if you've been "seriously affected" by the floods. It give examples like being injured or there being major damage to your house, but it doesn't rule out other impacts.
I can't say for certain either way but it could be good to apply anyway or contact Services Australia and see what they think.
As for students on temporary visas, the government says they are not eligible for the payment.
This is the list of eligible visas:
- subclass 060 - Bridging visa F
- subclass 070 - Bridging (removal pending)
- subclass 309 - Partner (provisional)
- subclass 449 - Humanitarian Stay
- subclass 785 - Temporary Protection
- subclass 786 - Temporary (Humanitarian Concern)
- subclass 790 - Safe Haven Enterprise
- subclass 820 - Partner (temporary)
- subclass ZB 951 - Criminal Justice Stay.
Helpfully the ABC's Lucy Stone has put together a bit of a guide for anyone wanting to apply for the disaster payment.
By Ian Burrows
The cow that didn’t want to moooove out of flood waters
Grant Edwards was travelling home to the Gold Coast, taking the back roads to avoid flood waters.
But he was met with more inundated roads and a lonely, stranded cow in the middle of it all.
“She didn’t want to come out,” Mr Edwards said.
“I started making a 'mooing' noise that got her attention, but she wouldn’t budge.”
Mr Edwards used a rope from his car to guide the cow out of the flooded waters and up the hill towards a nearby paddock.
“Got her to grass where she ate,” he said.
“She was very unsteady on her legs and was stumbling.”
(FYI - Headline credit goes to my far funnier colleague Sarah Richards!)
By Matthew Eaton
