The severe weather event driven by a powerful east coast low which drenched the Central Coast this week has begun moving off the coast, easing rainfall and allowing impacted residents to turn their sights toward the recovery and clean-up effort. 

Council is leading the recovery efforts and working closely alongside Resilience NSW to support the community through this clean-up, while continuing its work alongside the NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES) and other emergency agencies to support those still isolated or evacuated.

Despite rainfall easing, flooding remains current at multiple locations around Tuggerah Lakes and the Lower Hawkesbury River. Flooding is expected to continue receding over the weekend. 

For ongoing updates on this severe weather event, head to Council’s dedicated webpage: centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/council/news/significant-weather-event-update-july-2022. 

Evacuation centre open

• The evacuation centre at Diggers at The Entrance (315 The Entrance Rd, Long Jetty) remains open for residents who are unable to stay with friends or relatives.
• Residents from evacuated areas can bring their domestic animals if they are unable to be accommodated elsewhere, however people must remain with their animals. Evacuation centres will provide accommodation assistance and support.  
• Large animals can be taken to Tall Timbers Pony Club at Ourimbah. Before bringing any animals to the site, people should contact the pony club’s manager, Amanda, on 0400 738 916.  Owners need to be self-sufficient and bring temporary fencing to hold animals and fodder.
• If you are currently in self-isolation due to COVID-19, contact the Public Health Unit on 1300 066 055 before leaving your location, where possible.
• Mobile laundry and shower service available: The Entrance Neighbourhood Centre has a mobile laundry and shower service from 9am Friday 8 July for residents that need it or have no power. Corner of Battley Avenue and Oakland Avenue, The Entrance.
• Sandbags are still available from:
  • NSW SES Wyong Unit (Levitt St Wyong)
  • NSW SES Gosford Unit (Pateman Rd Erina) 
  • EDSACC Oval North (The Entrance Road, Bateau Bay) some sandbags are pre-filled however please bring a shovel

Recovery Hub at Mardi now open

• Central Coast Council and Resilience NSW recovery team are joined by Service NSW, Services Australia and a range of other support teams from today to offer recovery assistance for flood-affected Central Coast residents at the Woodbury Park Community Centre from Friday to Sunday this week.
• This pop-up recovery hub ensures residents have access to information and support services to aid in their recovery from this severe weather and flooding
• The Recovery Hub will be open from Friday 8 July to Sunday 10 July, 10am – 4pm
• The Recovery Hub is located at Woodbury Park Community Centre, 1 Woolmers Crescent, Mardi (this is an accessible venue). Further locations will be announced in the coming days.
• Please check local road closures before heading to the Centre: centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/residents/roads-and-water/road-closures

Financial aid

• The Central Coast local government area (LGA) is included in the NSW Government’s Natural Disaster Declaration announced on 5 July 2022, meaning people in our community who have been affected by this severe weather and flooding event can access a range of special assistance measures. 
• Assistance is available for individuals, small businesses, not-for-profit organisations, sporting clubs and more. For more information, head to the NSW Government’s website nsw.gov.au/disaster-recovery/natural-disaster-declarations.
• From 2pm on Thursday 6 July, people on the Central Coast affected by severe storms and flooding can access disaster assistance through the Australian Government. The one-off Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment of $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child is available to those who have suffered a significant loss because of the floods, including severe damage to a home, or serious injury. 

Isolated communities – Spencer, Gunderman, South Tacoma, Yarramalong and more

• Many of our flood affected communities are still isolated. People in these communities who require assistance are urged to contact NSW SES on 132 500. For emergencies or in life-threatening situations, call 000 (triple zero).
• Council and NSW SES have provided ongoing support to these isolated communities, including organising drops of food hampers, toiletry packs and fuel. 
• Fodder drops have been made over isolated areas in Yarramalong to ensure any isolated animals have access to feed. Fly overs have continued to help locate any missing animals.

Waste services: Clean-up of flood affected household waste, rubbish and sea wrack

• Council’s regular waste collection services continue as normal including bulk kerbside collections, public litter bins and household bins.
• Woy Woy and Buttonderry Waste Management Facilities remain operational and are open as per normal opening hours. 
• For properties located on sections of road currently closed to vehicles, kerbside services will resume as soon as the roads re-open and resources are available. Residents should keep their bins on the kerbside (if safe to do so) until they are collected.
• Council is working with Cleanaway to prepare for increased demand for bulk collection services in flood impacted suburbs during the incoming clean-up phase.
• As the water recedes and we begin the clean-up, Council asks for the community’s patience while we attend to the most urgent calls first, and until we reach all affected areas. Some areas may need additional time to dry or be repaired before we can access for clean-ups.

Flood affected waste:

• Households which have been inundated by flood waters will received a dedicated flood waste collection service over the following weeks– residents will be receiving detailed information about this over the next two days (this collection will not require a booking). 
• Council’s waste collection contractor will be hand delivering information via a letterbox drop to flood impacted areas outlining the dedicated collection days and how to present the waste for collection. These clean-ups will continue for a few weeks to allow residents time to clean up and remove waste.
• For all other bulk waste collections, including those outside of the identified flood inundation areas, the normal booking process through 1Coast.com.au will continue to be provided.
• Council's waste facilities are open to receive self-hauled waste from residents and businesses. Reduced fees of $211.74 per tonne (down from standard rate of $377 per tonne) apply for flood impacted mixed waste. 

Seagrass (wrack) and vegetation: 

• Homes which experienced seagrass (wrack) and vegetation debris from lake and river flooding can prepare this debris in piles on their kerbside for Council to collect.
• Smaller volumes of uncontaminated seagrass and vegetation debris from lake and river flooding can also be placed into green waste bins. 
• Larger volumes can also be bagged or boxed and placed on the kerbside as part of a bulk green waste collection (these collections should be booked through 1Coast.com.au to enable collection by a dedicated truck and the composting of these organics as opposed to landfill). 

Sandbag disposal:

• For sandbag disposal, split the hessian bags to remove sand and place in your garden somewhere it won’t wash away, if possible. Then place empty bags in the red lid garbage bin.

Weekly kerbside waste collection:

• Weekly kerbside (red, yellow and green wheelie bin) collections are continuing as normal, however some minor delays may be experienced due to high demand. 
• For properties on sections of road currently closed to vehicles, kerbside services will resume as soon as the roads re-open. Keep your bins on the kerbside (if safe to do so) until they are collected. 

Bulk kerbside collection:

• Service will continue as normal however some delays may be experienced as Council is prioritising bulk kerbside collections for flood affected regions. Book your bulk kerbside at 1Coast.com.au.

Spencer and Gunderman:

• It is anticipated that road openings will occur in these areas as waters recede. Impacts from any landslide/rockslides or trees down are being assessed and may result in longer closures however our priority will be making the sites safe for travel to resume for our community. 
• As in prior recent floods, Council will conduct a ‘sweep’ of waste collections in this region and will work alongside the emergency services and provide door to door notification of the coordinated response as soon as we can safely do so. 
• As with other areas of inundation, residents will not be required to book in collections for flooded properties. 
   

Roads

• Many of our local roads are still closed due to water inundation and we encourage our residents and visitors to stay up to date with the latest closures before travelling on roads.  
• Most importantly we ask people to avoid impacted roads as flash flooding may still be occurring. Please follow all signage and never enter or drive through flood waters or through closed roads.  Driving through even shallow flood waters can cause water to inundate flooded properties creating further damage for residents in flood affected areas.

Potholes

• Council is urging the community to watch out for new or worsened potholes. Intense rainfall driven by the east coast low has caused major flooding across the Coast, which may cause significant impacts on the 2,000km road network which connects the Central Coast. 
• Crews are undertaking temporary repair works and attending to the roads by priority for safety (high traffic, high speed roads). 
• Take extra caution, drive with ample room behind the car in front (avoid tailgating) and please continue to report potholes to Council via Council’s 24/7 online Customer Service Centre.
• For information about road closures search ‘road closures’ at Council's website: centralcoast.nsw.gov.au and follow Council’s Facebook page for regular updates. For road and traffic updates visit Live Traffic NSW www.livetraffic.com.  Please note Live Traffic is linking to Council’s road closure information.

Health and safety during clean-up

Avoid unnecessary risks during clean up:

• Do not enter a damaged building or structure, unless deemed safe to do so by authorities
• Take great care around electricity – follow the SES Electricity Safety Tips
• Be alert to snakes, spiders, rats and other wildlife that may have taken 
• If removing or moving waste, remember to practise basic hygiene. Use appropriate personal protective equipment, including dust mask, gloves, covered shoes or boots and full-length clothing to cover your arms and legs
• All cuts and abrasions should be cleaned, treated with antiseptic and covered immediately. If you have a deep cut or wound, if a wound has had contact with floodwaters or if a wound develops redness, swelling or discharge, seek immediate medical attention
• Avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. Use an insect repellent on exposed skin areas and reapply every couple of hours. Cover up as much as possible with loose-fitting and light-coloured clothing. Should you or any of your family have severe diarrhoea or vomiting, please seek immediate medical assistance. If you have these symptoms, you’ll need extra fluids to replace what you lose. The best fluids to take are those that contain a mixture of special salts (electrolytes) and sugars, (e.g., Gastrolyte) which can be purchased from local pharmacies.
• For further information on maintaining health during and after floods and storms, go to NSW Health’s website or call 1800 health direct or 18000 022 222.
• Keep up to date with current flood and storm recovery information on Council’s dedicated significant weather event update page: centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/council/news/significant-weather-event-update-july-2022

Thank you

This recent and ongoing emergency weather event has once again demonstrated the strength and resilience of the Central Coast people and efforts to look out for each other as ‘one’ community.

Council wishes to thank the NSW SES, all emergency agencies and volunteers assisting on the ground, as well as Council staff and crews who as the situation unfolded, have worked hard to keep our community safe.

ENDS