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PORT Macquarie-Hastings has been officially declared a natural disaster area after flooding caused extensive damage, estimated to run into the millions of dollars, to infrastructure across the region.
AS the Gazette went to press yesterday the Administrator of the Commonwealth, Marie Bashir AC CVO, was scheduled to tour the region with Mayor Peter Besseling, inspecting sites west of Wauchope hit hardest by flood damage before meeting with SES and RFS volunteers, council staff and community representatives.
In welcoming Ms Bashir to the region, Mayor Peter Besseling also welcomed the NSW Premier’s natural disaster area declaration and said the council’s highest priority will be applying for Natural Disaster Relief Assistance to ensure flood damage across the region can be addressed as soon as possible.
“Extensive flood damage has been recorded affecting thousands of residents across the LGA and impacting significantly on local road and bridge infrastructure,” Cr Besseling said.
“Along with the emotional impact an event like this can have on a community, there are also enormous financial costs. There has been significant damage to our roads and bridges, particularly in our outlying village areas which have been council’s highest priority in the clean-up.”
A wild weekend of torrential rain and floods caused a host of issues including one drowning, a serious car crash and the rescue of an elderly man from his trapped vehicle.
The body of a 17-year-old boy who went missing after being sucked into a large drainpipe at a golf course at Kew on Friday night was recovered the following morning.
A friend searching in reeds about 40 metres from the drain exit located the body at 7am on Saturday.
Luke O’Neil, from Bonny Hills, went missing about 5.30pm on Friday when a group of teenage boys were in waist-deep flood water collecting golf balls at a golf course on Kendall Road.
Police have been told the 17 year old was suddenly pulled into a large drainpipe by the force of the water.
When two of his friends, aged 15 and 16, were trying to find him at the drainpipe entrance the 16-year-old was also sucked into the pipe. He travelled underwater for the length of the 100 metre pipe and emerged into a dam at the other end where he was able to exit the water.
The two boys were taken by ambulance to Port Macquarie Base Hospital in a distraught state. The 16-year-old was admitted for observations with water on his lungs.
Emergency services were contacted and police from the Mid North Coast Local Area Command were joined by NSW Fire and Rescue, ambulance officers and SES officers in their search.
A report is being prepared for the Coroner.
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On Sunday at 1.46pm, Fire and Rescue NSW Wauchope were called to a car trapped in flood waters at Bain Bridge with one male in the vehicle.
On arrival they found a stalled motor vehicle part way across the river on the bridge with the male still inside.
Two fire rescue personnel attached life lines to the vehicle to retrieve the driver, who was also placed in a harness and walked back to the eastern side of the river to a waiting ambulance.
Council crews were busy assisting the clean-up over the weekend to ensure flood debris and fallen trees were removed from roadways and properties.
Wauchope SES controller Bill Sanders said numerous volunteers worked in the fierce weather.
“The Wauchope SES had around 15 volunteers working around the clock,” he said.
“We attended to 52 calls as of Monday afternoon in which 10 were flood rescue and one was to assist the NSW Fire rescue team at Bain Bridge.
“We are always looking for volunteers and anyone interested can come to the SES centre in Cameron Street every Wednesday nights at 6.30pm.”