NSW: Coonamble to withstand rising flood waters

AAP General News (Australia)
12-24-2007
NSW: Coonamble to withstand rising flood waters

SYDNEY, Dec 24 AAP - Rising floodwaters are expected to pass the central NSW town of
Coonamble without incident, the State Emergency Service (SES) says.

A levee on one side of Coonamble is effectively protecting the town from rising waters
in the Castlereagh River, swollen by heavy rainfall on Friday night.

Some 171mm of rain fell at Coonamble during the 24 hours up to 9am (AEDT) Saturday,
which the Bureau of Meteorology said was more than the town's three-month average.

"The river is getting reasonably close to its peak at the moment at about 4.5m, but
is still rising very slowly," SES spokesman Phil Campbell told AAP a short time ago.

"The river was still rising well past the predicted peak time of 9pm or 9.30pm (AEDT)
and the peak has now been pushed back by the bureau (of Meteorology) a couple of times."

Initial predictions were that the river would peak at 5.2m, but that has been revised
downward, Mr Campbell said.

"This morning (the bureau) said slightly below 5m, and at this stage it's reasonably
close to that," he said.

Fears that some 25 homes in low-lying parts of Coonamble would suffer over-floor flooding
have been dismissed, although waters have isolated several properties and the township
itself.

The NSW government today declared the town and a number of other areas, including Lachlan,
Bland, Parkes, Warren and Broken Hill natural disaster zones, opening the way for residents
to make assistance claims.

A number of these towns were lashed by wild weather last weekend, leading local people
to place nearly 600 calls for help to the State Emergency Service (SES).

Farmers who lost livestock and suffered flood damage will now be able to apply for
natural disaster relief.

NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said farmers would have access to loans
of up to $132,000 with interest-free periods, low interest rates and 10-year repayment
periods.

"It is regrettable that a number of farmers have lost fencing and livestock," Mr Macdonald
told reporters in Sydney.

"We will attend to that with natural disaster-relief arrangements."

But Mr Macdonald said it wasn't all doom and gloom for the state's north-west.

"Overall, to be getting such significant rainfall at this time of year is very good
news for the farming sector," he said.

"It will have a very positive benefit in terms of pasture growth and cropping down
the track because of the high level of moisture in those areas."

The most pressing issue facing the SES is the deliver of supplies to isolated properties,
the SES said.

"There are a few isolated properties at the moment some of which are quite large cattle
stations with up to about a dozen people and we have already done a couple of resupplies
today," Mr Campbell said.

"There are also animals requiring fodder drops and there will be more of these drops
as people begin to run out os essentials."

The SES is using two helicopters and high-clearance vehicles to reach the properties.

From tomorrow residents in the region should start to see flood waters subside, Mr Campbell said.

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