More action needs to be taken on addressing climate change to avoid repeats of the devastating and deadly floods that have hit northern NSW twice in one month, a local councillor says.
Adam Guise, a North Lismore resident, said the town won't go back to the way it was after another bout of floods this week.
"I think people are just in shock. I'm exhausted. I don't know where to begin," he said.
Cr Guise said mega dams and levees were not going to cut it anymore.
"No hard engineering solution like that is going to solve climate-induced weather events like this," he said.
He suggested the state and federal governments needed to push voluntary land swaps or buy backs for people living in flood plains.
"There are too many people devastated and incapable, both financially and emotionally, to do this again," he said.
Heavy rain, winds and waves battered the state overnight, with residents from Lismore to the Lower Macleay in northern NSW under evacuation orders even as floodwaters recede in other parts of the region.
The State Emergency Services received 550 calls for help and performed four rescues in the past 24 hours, warning the community on Friday that floodwaters still posed a big threat.
Already drenched areas could see flash flooding, with saturated soil increasing the risk of falling trees.
Victorian and South Australian SES teams are flying into flooded areas to help with rescue and recovery efforts.
NSW Police on Thursday night found the body of a 55-year-old woman they believed was aged care nurse Anita Brakel, who went missing in floodwaters south of Lismore three days ago.
Gusts nearing 100km/h have been recorded across the state with the Bureau of Meteorology warning of possible 9m waves along coastal areas.
Heavy swells forced Sydney transport authorities to shut down the Manly to Circular Quay ferry on Friday.
The rain that has battered the north for most of the week is easing, as Lismore and Byron Bay reel from another round of flooding.
Wilsons River at Lismore peaked at 11.4m, below expectations of 12m, with waters now below the 10.6m height of the city's levee.
In Lismore, the Rapid Relief Team charity was donating 30 truckloads of hay to farmers after flooded roads added hours to drivers' journeys.
"Very, very devastating to come through Lismore and see what they've been through," charity director Lester Sharples said.
"To see it again a second time, it's gut-wrenching, really. It's important to get these farmers back online."
South of Lismore, Clarence Valley Council mayor Ian Tiley said the town had "dodged a bullet" after floodwaters threatened it a second time.
But even then parts of the region were underwater again and a $7 million repair bill from the floods in February are expected to balloon.
"We've got to go back to recovery mode again. We were in clean up mode. It's pretty debilitating, people are obviously feeling very depressed," Cr Tiley said.
With two low pressure systems colliding over the state's southeast, rainfall is hitting Newcastle and Sydney on Friday, and is expected to extend down to the Victorian border into the weekend before easing on Sunday.
