Local volunteers travel to NSW to assist flood victims

Mar 21, 2022

Vital: Members of Victoria’s emergency services have recently returned form assisting flood victims in New South Wales. Photo by Ray Sizer

Volunteers from Victoria’s State Emergency Service have recently returned from NSW where they were assisting communities devastated by flood.

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They joined colleagues from the Country Fire Authority (CFA), Emergency Management Victoria (EMV), and Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic).

North East Region SES Operations Officer Charlie Sexton said it sent about 20 volunteers to help from towns across the state’s north east.

“We also had members go up from our Regional Support Unit ... as well.”

In total of 190 Victorians, including Community Liaison Officers, Field Storm Crew, Incident Management Team personnel, Task Force Leaders and Jurisdictional Support Team members, have flown in to assist since March 1.

They have been deployed to areas including Rhodes, Wollongong, Metropolitan Sydney and the Northern Rivers Division.

Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp thanked Victorian emergency services volunteers and staff for their incredible effort.

“Teams across multiple agencies have really come together to help where it is needed most.

“They can arrive home ... knowing they’ve made a significant contribution to emergency services and the communities in NSW,” Mr Crisp said.

VICSES Community Liaison Officer Taskforce Commander Melanie Gill said the team had accomplished a great deal.

“Our community liaison officers achieved so much by working seamlessly with other agencies at community hubs and meetings,” Ms Gill said.

“(As well as) visiting homes which had been cut off from services by floodwater, mud and debris to provide material and emotional support, as well as guidance through this difficult time.”

CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said he was extremely proud of the Victorian team which had been working tirelessly to help those in need.

“People in NSW have been experiencing some of the most challenging circumstances of their lives,” Mr Heffernan said.

"The professionalism and care our CFA members, and others, have shown to those affected has been incredible.

“We’re glad to have the team back in Victoria following these deployments and we’re always willing to assist our partner agencies when we can.”

The teams helped those hit worst by the floods to provide information situational updates, information about road access, housing, accommodation services and other support services.

A total of 16 Water Police and Search and Rescue squads from Victoria Police have also returned, following deployment to Lismore, Ballina and metropolitan Sydney areas, performing multiple rescues, staging proactive patrols and providing specialist advice on search co-ordination.

Additional support is on the way, with the Victorian Council of Churches Emergencies Ministry to send its inaugural interstate crew this Wednesday.

The team of six will assist the Disaster Recovery Chaplaincy Network in recovery centres in far north NSW for around eight days, with subsequent shifts likely to follow.

The flood situation in NSW and Queensland is a reminder that Victorians should connect with official sources of emergency information, including the VicEmergency app; online at www.emergency.vic.gov.au, via local emergency broadcasters such as ABC local radio, commercial and select community radio stations, or SkyNews TV.