Clean-up begins as Lismore residents return

Chris Dobney

The SES has issued all-clear for North Lismore, South Lismore, the town’s CBD and affected parts of Tweed Heads and Kingscliff.

Most of the Lismore CBD will, however, remain closed to traffic during a clean-up of massive amounts of rubbish created as a result of the flood.

Disaster zone

A drive around Lismore on Sunday revealed a disaster zone.

There are piles of garbage outside almost every house and shop, including soggy couches and mattresses, damaged electrical goods and waterlogged cabinetry, as well as bags of spoiled food caused by direct flooding or defrosting as a result of prolonged power outages.

While power had been returned to most of the city by Sunday evening, residents of North Lismore have been told their power will not be reconnected until it is cleared by a licensed electrician.

At Twig and Mij’s home in Lake Street, opposite The Rivers Secondary College, water rose more than 11 metres, to the fifth step from the 12.9-metre floor of their Queenslander.

The pair spent Sunday (the first day they could actually put a foot on the ground since Thursday) throwing stuff out and cleaning underneath their house with a pressure cleaner powered by a friend’s generator.

Twig told Echonetdaily that while they have survived a number of floods since the couple first bought their home some four years ago, the speed with which the water rose and the height of it took them by surprise.

‘On Thursday evening the TV was saying the flood height would be 8.9 metres, which we’ve lived through before. So we took the cars to higher ground at the Showgrounds and prepared to sit it out,’ he said.

‘Later on that evening the SES controller came on the TV and said they had upgraded their prediction to 11.6 metres. We were stunned, there was nothing we could do and it was too late to leave, even if we wanted to.’

The couple are far from the only ones doing it tough in Lismore.

Schools and businesses affected

At the nearby South Lismore Public School, SES workers were hosing out the classrooms and playgrounds from their coating of mud. The school will remain closed all week, with staff seeking another campus to work from.

Dragonfly café in the town’s CBD is one of just many that has lost its fridges, appliances, furniture and coffee machines in the flood.

One of the staff members of Rainbow Wholefoods said when he regained access to the store after the flood had been through it was a scene of devestation.

‘I opened the doors. Lights off – no power, it was a total mess. Mud all over the floor, stock everywhere and all our fridges turned over,’ he told ABC radio.

It’s clear that the garbage bill alone will run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, let alone the costs of replacing equipment and stocks that have been destroyed.

MP shocked

The Lismore LGA – together with Tweed, Byron and Ballina – has been declared a disaster area, with a massive tent city being erected at Wollongnbar for hundreds of volunteers who are expected to start arriving on Monday.

Ballina MP Tamara Smith said the rain and flood damage across such a wide area is shocking.

‘Although we were warned in advance of the amount of rain, it is still awful to experience flood damage and to be unable to travel due to road closures. My deepest sympathies are with home owners and business owners who have been affected by flooding,’ she said.

Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) is providing assistance to the local government areas of Ballina, Byron, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed.

‘I know our emergency services and volunteers have been very busy and are doing as much as they can. I am grateful to them for their courage and hard work during a crisis like this,’ Ms Smith said

‘It is good to hear that both State and Federal governments are offering recovery assistance to help flooded communities,’ she added.

Assistance includes:

• Help for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged
• Support for affected local councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets
• Concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations
• Freight subsidies for primary producers; and
• Grants to non-profit organisations.

For information on personal hardship and distress assistance, contact the Disaster Welfare Assistance Line on 1800 018 444.

To apply for a concessional loan, grant or freight subsidy, contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit  raa.nsw.gov.au.

Further information on disaster assistance is available at disasterassist.gov.au and emergency.nsw.gov.au

Waste collection and clean-up

* The Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre and the Nimbin Transfer Station are open as normal and people can drop off flood-affected waste free of charge.

* Kerbside pick-up will begin in the Lismore urban area on Monday morning. There will also be a rural kerbside pick-up in flood-inundated villages although clearing the CBD will be first priority.

* Normal bin collections will resume in the Lismore urban area on Monday. Residents who were missed last week should place bins out for collection.

* Residents are asked to please try and sort and separate waste as much as is possible, even for kerbside pick-ups. Where possible, separate recyclables, electronics, whitegoods, green waste etc. Rotting food should be placed in your green wheelie bin or taken to the Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre.

* Bins that have been lost in the flood will be replaced. Please phone 1300 87 83 87 to log your details.

* Skips will be placed in the CBD for businesses to dispose of waste.

* NSW Fire Services will be assisting to hose down businesses in the Lismore CBD.

* The Lismore Revolve Shop is closed until further notice – likely to re-open Thursday.

* Brewster Street Drop-off Centre is closed and is likely to reopen mid next week.

Clean-up tips

Acting assistant commissioner Kyle Stewart said that as the clean-up effort begins in some areas residents face a range of new challenges and safety issues.

‘The affects of the clean up can be just as dangerous as the floods themselves and we are appealing to the communities impacted by the floods to take all precautions and listen to advice of the emergency service agencies,’ he said.

Some key issues residents should observe are;

* If you have lost household power and are using candles or portable light or heating sources, never leave them unattended and ensure they are kept well away from all flammable material.

* Always extinguish candles or any other open flame before going to bed.

* Don’t use BBQs LPG fuelled heating devices indoors. They give off poisonous carbon monoxide.

* If you have lost household power, turn off all appliances at the power points as they may be affected by a power surge when the power resumes.

* Any electrical appliances that may have been in contact with water must be inspected by a qualified electrician before use to ensure they can be operated safely.

* If drying clothing, keep wet clothing at least one metre from heaters or fireplaces and never leave them unattended. If you use a clothes dryer make sure you clean the lint filter each and every time you use it.

* If you have a garage or shed, remember to take extra care with any stored chemicals and fuels. Handle with extreme caution and use the recommended protective equipment: gloves, safety goggles, etc.

* If you are concerned about stored chemicals, contact your local Fire Station for advice.

In the event of fire, leave the house and call 000 (triple zero) and ask for Fire.

Health advice for flood clean-up:

Floodwaters contaminated with sewage may carry a range of viruses and parasites. Experience from past floods shows that the greatest risk of infection is bacteria picked up through cuts and abrasions.

The most effective way of preventing infection is:

* Thorough hand washing after contact with flood contaminated materials;

* Wearing gloves; and

* Avoiding contact between cuts or abrasions and flood water or contaminated materials.

People should contact their GP if they are concerned about their health. As a precaution, people should treat all floodwater as potentially contaminated with sewage.

Keep children away from flood affected areas and avoid all unnecessary contact with mud and floodwaters.

Ensure feet are covered if they are likely to come into contact with mud and always wear gloves when handling flood affected items or mud.

Children’s toys affected by floodwater should be discarded if they are soft toys or moulded plastic toys with air injection holes. Solid toys should be disinfected before allowing children to play with them

Resident should always wash their hands thoroughly with soap and clean water, or with an alcohol gel:

* After handling flood-affected items;

* When participating in flood clean-up activities;

* Immediately after going to the toilet; and

* Always before handling or eating food.

Members of the public can also visit www.emergency.nsw.gov.au for a range of flood-related information. For all other emergencies, the public are advised to contact Triple Zero.

For the latest on road closures members of the community can visit the website www.livetraffic.comor contact their local councils.

Members of the public in flood affected areas should continue to listen to local radio stations, or check the websites listed below.

Members of the public seeking emergency assistance during a flood or storm should call the NSW State Emergency Service on 132 500, or visit their website www.ses.nsw.gov.au

For weather warnings check www.bom.gov.au

Members of the public can also visit www.emergency.nsw.gov.au for a range of flood-related information. For all other emergencies, the public are advised to contact Triple Zero.