Mayor's heart goes out to victims

COFFS Harbour mayor Keith Rhoades wore several hats during the latest flood event both in his role as a Councillor and fire captain rescuing stranded residents.

He was also contacted by the State Emergency Minister Steve Whan this morning to assist in the evaluation of the Natural Disaster status.

"It was a tiring night, a full-on night for everyone involved," he said.

Cr Rhoades says the legacy of the latest floods will be felt for some time given the extraordinary weather events of 2009 that have preceded it.

"For us, it was weather event number five this year; in Bellingen it was number six," he said.

"We're getting up toward three metres of rain in 2009 and we've got seven weeks to go, goodness knows where we'll end up.

"The big thing we learnt from March 31 was the mental health issues that accompany the floods. As each one comes, we get better at dealing with it but your heart goes out to people who have been hit time and again.

"Losing stock fences and property, garages... this is where the stress comes in and people become dismayed.

"I've been here 39 years and I talk to people who have been here 60 or 70 and they've never seen weather like this.

"Ten inches in five days you can handle but not 20 inches in six hours - it's too much, too quick."

Cr Rhoades also made reference to the oversight of the Federal Government following the March 31 storm when local residents were overlooked for disaster relief payments which were enacted for North Coast flood victims in May, immediately.

"I just hope we don't see what we saw on March 31 when certain people were left out of the loop, " he said.

Later adding: "Those Ministers in Canberra, through the media coverage last night, they all know where Coffs Harbour is.

"I think it would be hard to duck and dive somewhere any not come out and offer help."

Do you have photos of the flooding?  Email them to editorial@finda.com.au.

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