Evacuations underway on NSW north coast

Large swathes of northern NSW have been declared disaster areas after another day of
wild storms forced thousands to evacuate homes and isolated major towns.
Inspecting flood damage on Friday, NSW Premier Nathan Rees declared the Tweed,
Byron, Ballina, Lismore, Kyogle, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley local
government areas disaster zones.
"The declaration will provide for a range of assistance to cover personal hardship
and distress, as well as funding for those who have suffered property damage,
including residents, councils, business owners and primary producers," Mr Rees said.
The storm that first devastated parts of Brisbane cut a swathe of destruction as it
slowly moved south.
The torrential rain and wild winds have ravaged northern NSW, with reports roofs
have been torn from buildings and trees and powerlines brought down. Major centres
Lismore and Grafton are being evacuated.
The Bureau of Meteorology's (BoM) severe weather warning remains in place for the
area, with very heavy rain, winds up to 125km/h and large waves continuing
throughout the day.
The bureau has also issued flood warnings for the Tweed, Richmond/Wilsons, Clarence,
Bellinger, Macleay, Hastings, Orara, Brunswick and Nambucca Rivers.
Since Tuesday, the State Emergency Service (SES) has received more than 1,800 calls
for assistance from the Queensland border to Coffs Harbour, and conducted scores of
flood rescues.
At Lismore 5,000 residents were told on Friday morning to pack up and leave.
Major roads remain underwater, trees and powerlines have been brought down, but
fears the levee would overflow appear to have dissipated.
The Wilsons River peaked at 2pm (AEST) and currently sits at 10.4 metres, just shy
of the levee top.
SES spokesman Phil Campbell said the worst was believed to be over but that
evacuation orders will remain current for north Lismore.
At Grafton, south of Lismore, authorities have begun evacuating thousands of
residents amid claims that 350mm had fallen in just 10 hours.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a flood warning for the Clarence River near
Grafton, which is expected to peak at almost eight metres by midnight (AEST) Friday.
"The local authorities here are well-advanced in their plan to evacuate Grafton and
south Grafton which is a significant operation," Clarence Valley Mayor Richie
Williamson said.
The SES said evacuation orders had been issued for Grafton, and nearby Ulmarra and
Bushgrove, affecting 9,200 residents.
"We are encouraging self-evacuation but if people are able to go to friends and
family on higher ground, that's good," Mr Williamson said.
"As a council we are grappling with two issues. One being flood ... the other is
significant wind damage and coastal erosion.
"Yamba recorded a wind gust of 99km/h last night. We know that there will be damage
as a result of that, we are just waiting to hear how severe that damage is."
About 2,000 residents west of Coffs Harbour have also been isolated by floodwaters,
with Bellingen, Darkwood and Thora cut off for the third time this year.
The federal government says it will provide financial assistance to the
disaster-declared areas of northern NSW, with personal hardship grants offered to
low-income earners whose homes have been damaged.
Businesses and voluntary non-profit organisations would be eligible for concessional
loans, while road and rail freight subsidies of up to $15,000 would be given to
farmers.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd urged residents in flood-ravaged areas such as Lismore not
to brave dangerous waters.
"It is critical residents follow the instructions of local authorities and as far as
possible stay indoors and avoid the roads," he said.
Meanwhile, NSW boat users are being warned to take extra care over the weekend with
wild weather whipping up dangerous conditions.
NSW Maritime said boaters on the north coast should avoid waterways and those
heading elsewhere should check weather conditions before hitting the water.
"Safety is paramount when boating, so we would urge anyone who is thinking of
heading out on the water in the next couple of days to check the weather first and
if in doubt, don't go out," spokesman Brett Moore said in a statement.
Boats on moorings must be properly secured and moorings serviced to reduce the risk
of craft breaking free, Mr Moore said.
The Bureau of Meteorology warning warns of high winds and large waves on the
northeast coast until Saturday morning.
Dangerous surf conditions are also expected in Sydney well into Saturday.
More information about boating safety is available on the web at
www.maritime.nsw.gov.au