Residents forced to evacuate Eugowra in New South Wales’ central west may be able to return home today, as other areas in the eastern states brace themselves for more flooding.
The State Emergency Service expects to issue the all-clear for Eugowra around 10:00am (AEDT) this morning, pending electrical safety inspections of flooded properties.
SES spokeswoman Erin Pogmore says Mandagery Creek is falling after reaching record levels yesterday.
“We have seen that it has eased in quite a few places so that is a very good sign, particularly for the residents, but because they are such wet catchments they can lead to further river rises so we are keeping an eye on everything across the state,” she said.
The SES says it is keeping a close eye on Tamworth, with the Peel River at Tamworth Bridge set to peak at about 5.8 metres.
Ms Pogmore says it will cause moderate flooding and some local roads may need to be closed.
“We have had volunteers out on the ground just making sure that everything is OK,” she said.
At Dubbo, the SES says only low-lying homes are at risk of inundation when the Macquarie and Castlereagh rivers reach their peaks later this morning.
The Macquarie River was expected to peak at around nine metres in Dubbo at 6:00am this morning but local SES workers say it is yet to reach that level.
Operations controller for the Macquarie Region Gavin Arnold says there was no rain overnight but residents in low-lying areas need to remain alert.
“We’re expecting some low-lying areas to become flooded and inundated but we’re not expecting anything further to come out of it,” he said.
Flood assistance
In some good news for flood victims in Queanbeyan, NSW Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan has assured residents the Government will support them with the cost of cleaning up after the devastating flood.
The Queanbeyan City Council says it is too early to tell how much damage to infrastructure has been caused.
But mayor Tim Overall estimates the damage bill could be as high as $2 million.
Mr Whan says the city’s declaration as a natural disaster zone will ensure it gets government funds for the recovery.
“Natural disaster assistance doesn’t have an upper limit, so essentially it’s a safety net for rate payers,” he said.
Rising floodwaters
Access to parts of Shepparton in Victoria’s north-east could be cut by rising floodwaters today.
Residents in the Kialla Lakes Estate, in the city’s south, have been told to be prepared to have limited access for about 24 hours.
It is the same area that was badly affected by flooding when the Broken River flooded in September.
The SES says the flooded Goulburn and Broken rivers and Seven Creeks will isolate some properties and block roads.
The river levels are expected to peak today, below the September levels.
Meanwhile, in central Queensland, authorities in Rockhampton are taking a wait-and-see approach ahead of expected flooding from the Fitzroy River.
The river is expected to reach 7.8 metres in Rockhampton by Monday or Tuesday, causing problems in low-lying areas of the city.
