Emma McBride (Dobell, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm calling on the New South Wales Premier, the New South Wales emergency services minister and the newly appointed Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast to act now and declare floods on the Central Coast of New South Wales a natural disaster. The whole Central Coast community urgently needs the New South Wales government's support in this crisis.

Between 200 and 500 millimetres of rain has fallen on the coast since Friday, flooding homes and isolating residents. Many have been stranded for days. Over 80 local roads have been closed and main roads have been severely impacted. The Pacific Highway remains closed in both directions at Charmhaven. The Charmhaven and Blue Haven communities are still reeling from the severe bushfire that raged through the area on New Year's Day. Now floods have brought down trees and powerlines, and tens of thousands of homes are still without power. The Wyong aged-care facility in Mardi has been isolated, and the New South Wales SES unit at Wyong is transporting staff and supplies via punt. Schools are closed, and people can't safely travel to and from work.

The Central Coast community urgently needs to know what support is available and how to access this help now. The New South Wales government needs to act swiftly to declare a natural disaster so that the Central Coast has access to the support it needs to recover. The New South Wales government needs to step up and act. This is a natural disaster. It is an emergency. My community needs support. Too many people have been stranded and too many people are isolated. We thank the SES, but they need support.