More essential supplies are expected to return to the Northern Rivers today after chronic shortages across the region ever since ex-Cyclone Alfred’s risks first became urgent late last week.
Supermarket shelves on high ground near Lismore in Goonellabah’s three major supermarkets were again empty of most fresh produce including fruit, veggies, meat, dairy, eggs and bread Sunday afternoon, with Lismore’s shops yet to reopen.
Help came in the form of free fresh produce given away outside Goonellabah’s Coles supermarket late Sunday afternoon as the severely low-stocked store was due to close.
Sydney-sider returns to Lismore to help disaster survivors
Adam, who declined to share his last name, said he drove up from Sydney with a boat in tow ready to help if needed.
He said he stopped at the organic Five Sixty Farms in South Gundurimba, halfway between Coraki and Lismore, along the way, having met the farmers ‘at the last floods’ in 2022 when he and others were helping them.
‘This time I’ve been up here nice and early before the flood, hopefully,’ the Good Samaritan told The Echo and Bay FM*, ‘got up here to help here as many people as we could’.
Adam said he was thankful the weather event hadn’t been as bad as in 2022.
The Five Sixty Farms usually sold produce at all the farmers’ markets, he said, but they were cancelled over the weekend owing to the severe weather and associated alerts.
‘We thought we’d better bring it here and offer it to the people for free,’ Adam said, ‘we don’t want any money for it and we’re just here to help the people’.
The Sydney-sider gestured to the supermarket as he spoke.
‘The people are in need there, you know,’ he said, ‘they’ve got nothing on the shelves, so what a better place to do it?’
NSW disaster vollies headed to Gold Coast
By around 4.30pm Sunday, all that was left of the Five Sixty Farms’ free produce were a few boxes of capsicums, eggplants, cucumbers and zucchinis and some lettuce.
‘We had a lot more but we’ve given it out today,’ he said.
Adam said he planned to continue to offer help where needed as the week progressed.
‘We’re got crew waiting from Sydney to go to the Gold Coast,’ he said, ‘we’re probably gonna head up to help’.
*Mia Armitage also reports for Bay FM Community Radio
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