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HELPING RESIDENTS IN FLOODED CENTRAL WEST





Premier Column #33 30.09.16

HELPING RESIDENTS IN FLOODED CENTRAL WEST

By NSW Premier Mike Baird @MikeBairdMP

I travelled to the flood-affected town of Forbes in the Central West to see for myself the extent of the damage caused by floodwaters on homes, businesses and rural properties.

One of the proudest things I notice when I get around the state is how strong our community bonds are and how when friends, neighbours and emergency services see someone in need, they put their hand up, they roll up their sleeves, and help.

The people of Forbes have seen floods before. They know it can be difficult, however, they have already demonstrated their resilience in the face of adversity. The people I spoke to during my visit were determined to get through it and help each other every step of the way.

The advice we have is that more rain is on the way. It’s not clear how much rain is expected, but there certainly is a risk of more rising water so we will be working with the community to ensure they are as prepared as possible.

Disaster assistance has been made available for 21 local government areas affected by the floods, including the town of Forbes. The assistance will be provided through the jointly-funded Commonwealth-State Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements and includes support for the cost of cleaning up essential community assets, concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, freight subsidies for farmers and grants for not-for-profit organisations.

A regional recovery coordinator has been appointed to oversee the clean-up and recovery effort to ensure the process is as smooth as possible.

Retired NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Owens has accepted the invitation to help flood-ravaged communities, three months after he helped oversee the clean-up from the major east coast low that battered the state in June. That storm caused major devastation up-and-down the state’s coastline and was so fierce it washed away much of Collaroy Beach on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, and caused flooding in Picton as well as other parts of Western Sydney. 

In June I said Mr Owens was the best person for the job, given his experience dealing with the fallout of many natural disasters, and my position remains unchanged. He will work with emergency services and volunteers who have been doing an incredible job and are committed to ensuring communities receive the support they need.

Meanwhile, I was also in Newcastle this week to make two major announcements that will draw more visitors to the regional city and boost the local economy.

A new multi-purpose cruise ship terminal will be built on Newcastle Harbour that will be similar in scale to the White Bay Terminal in Sydney. The $12.7 million investment will showcase the beautiful city and give a wonderful first impression to cruise passengers.

It was also great to join Supercars champions Mark Winterbottom and James Courtney to announce the series final of the Supercars Championship would be held in Newcastle from 2017. The Newcastle 500 is another major event secured for Newcastle and regional NSW and will take in some of the city’s best landmarks, including Nobby’s Beach and Fort Scratchley.

The Hunter has thousands of Supercars fans who now have an event to call their own and the race is expected to bring in more than $57 million to the Hunter over the next five years and attract 81,000 visitors. The Coates Hire Sydney 500 will be staged for the last time at Sydney Olympic Park from 2-4 December 2016.




 














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