NSW Government To Spend $200m Into Improving Flood Response

The New South Wales Government has committed $200 million towards helping boost flood response, set to be spent on new rescue boats to avoid a repeat of the deadly Northern River floods this year.

In addition, the state government will fund a variety of flood rescue training for emergency workers and community members.

On Wednesday, Premier Dominic Perrottet is set to announce the package for the state's emergency sector, who were unable to fight the catastrophic demands of floods earlier this year.

The package will deliver 60 inflatable rescue boats, 16 high-clearance vehicles and investments into training around 2,300 people in flood rescue operations including the State Emergency Service, Surf Live Saving, Fire and Rescue.

A key area for improvement, more than $16 million will be put towards evacuation centre management. 

The funding announcement is in response to an independent inquiry that made multiple recommendations following the Northern NSW disaster.

Around $6 million will head to improving the Hawkesbury-Nepean flood response modelling.

Mr Perrottet said it's ultra-important the state's emergency services is better equipped for future weather disasters.

"Events of this year alone show that the conditions we are facing and the magnitude of the natural disasters need this level of support to ensure our front-line agencies are well-placed to continue delivering for the community," Mr Perrottet said.

The 2022 weather disaster started in February, destroying local communities across the Northern Rivers region and down the coast towards Illawarra. Tragically, nine people lost their lives during the floods. 

Last month, a one-in-5,000-year flood wiped out the Central West town of Eugowra, fatally killing two people.

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