Minister declares natural disaster in flooded NSW towns

[depakid]

arts of the northern rivers and far northern New South Wales have been declared a natural disaster area after heavy rain and flooding.

The floods are being called the worst to hit the region in more than 50 years.
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"The sitaution's serious and on the basis of the advice from the SES ... I'm declaring a natural disaster area for the Tweed Shire of New South Wales and also for Kyogle.

"We'll be keeping a close eye on the Richmond Valley Shire."

About 150 people were evacuated from low-lying areas on the Tweed Coast and Kyogle early this morning. The Kyogle mayor, Ernie Bennett, says the Bruxner Highway has been severely damaged.

"As you walked along the bitumen surface you could actually jump up and down six inches on it. The water under that subsurface is going to destroy that road and it doesn't take very much of a highway to chew up a million dolars when you have to replace it."

Dance party cut off

The State Emergency Service (SES) will bring drinking water by helicopter this afternoon to more than 500 people trapped by flooding in a national park.

The SES says there is as many as 700 people in the Bonoo Bonoo national park near the northern NSW town of Tenterfield for an alternative dance party. North-west region controller Steve Martin says heavy rain has swept away the only access bridge to the area they are in.

"They've indicated that they've got enough food for a couple of days but fresh water's going to be a problem, even though there's plenty of rain around the place," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/05/2132320.htm?section=justin
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It's been a year of way too much or too little around New South Wales. Could be that'll end up being the new pattern for the region.