ADF troops have returned to their home units, after Operation Flood Assist 2022 was conducted in the Northern Rivers region.
A small contingent of personnel and assets will remain to support site refurbishment, post-ADF use, the ADF said in a statement.
Lieutenant General Bilton said, ‘More than 4,000 ADF personnel and assets [were] deployed rapidly from across the country to help the communities of northern NSW.
The ADF say ‘There has been a steady reduction in the number and types of tasks requested by local Government and emergency services partners’.
Commander Joint Task Force 629, Major General David Thomae, AM, said the ADF had conducted a multitude of essential tasks, ‘but would continue to be on stand-by should weather conditions in northern NSW change once again’.
‘Our personnel have made a tremendous contribution to the community, supporting authorities with tasks as diverse as search and rescue, distributing food and essential supplies, and undertaking back-breaking work such as debris removal and helping locals clean up homes and businesses after experiencing the worst flooding on record’.
‘Now we re-position our forces, but ensure that our personnel remain vigilant and our capability ready to respond to a request for assistance,’ Major General Thomae said.
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