🚨 FRNSW Flood Crews Aid Lord Howe Island Supplies

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews in the mid-north coast flood zone played a crucial role in clearing damage that was endangering the weekly supply of food, water and medicine to the residents of Lord Howe Island.

FRNSW Strike Team “Hotel”, supporting the NSW SES-led flood emergency response, was carrying out damage assessments along Hastings River Road at Port Macquarie yesterday, with an SES crew from Western Australia, when it encountered the stricken business, used to ferry supplies to the Island, 600-kilometres away, once a week.

Company staff weren’t able to load the materials from their food-grade warehouse to their boat on a wharf nearby.

The exterior of the business and its wharf were covered in more than 200-metres of contaminated mud, up to 30-centimetres high, which prevented vehicle access to the vessel.

Supported by the 11 Western Australian SES members and two NSW SES members from Newcastle, the 20 firefighters used equipment from their four fire trucks to attack the sludge.

The fire crews, from southern and central west NSW, called in a Rural Fire Service (RFS) Bulk Water Tanker, carrying 30-thousand litres of fresh water, to wash-out the mud and silt.

The NSW SES called in an excavator contractor as FRNSW pumped out the dirty water.

FRNSW Inspector, Phil Eberle, said, “At its peak, 50 emergency services personnel were involved in the operation that took six hours instead of the expected two days.

“As a result, the site has been cleared and cleaned ready for the resumption of supplies to the people of Lord Howe Island,” Inspector Eberle said.

Nearby in Port Macquarie, FRNSW Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) crew has established a decontamination gantry to washdown FRNSW and RFS trucks returning from operations to prepare them for redeployment.

FRNSW anticipates HAZMAT operations to increase as the floodwaters continue to recede, resulting in contamination incidents.

FRNSW, at the request of the NSW SES, has also deployed a team of Community Liaison officers to engage with a range of isolated communities and indigenous districts severely impacted by the flood emergency.

The FRNSW officers, including indigenous personnel, have travelled to Old Bar, Taree and Kempsey, teaming with the local “Community Access Hubs” to check on the welfare of local residents and provide key advice about available assistance measures.

The engagement by FRNSW’s so-called “Mob Hub” is providing indigenous communities with culturally safe spaces to discuss their flood-related needs and concerns.

The team has recruited local elders to help liaise with the vulnerable communities, engaging in ‘ground-truthing’ to establish trust and advise those who are hesitant and resistant to accessing government help, particularly in relation to their health.

Strike Team Leader, Craig Gordon, said, “It’s absolute heartbreak across the whole district.

“We’ve identified remote communities which are still cut off at the moment, and our priority is to support the NSW SES in accessing those people in need,” Station Officer Gordon said.