Older, disabled and pregnant residents of Lismore were left behind in NSW state and local authorities’ flood response in February, a new report has found.
Human Rights Watch researcher Sophie McNeill said the response did not take into account marginalised groups with those acutely at risk being older Australians, those with a disability and pregnant women.
“During the 2022 floods, NSW authorities did not adequately warn or help at-risk people, which led to terrifying and deadly consequences”.
“Climate change exacerbates inequalities, and the failures seen in Lismore highlight the urgent need for the authorities to ensure inclusive climate action and planning”.
Ms McNeill also urged the federal government “to make at-risk groups a priority in their extreme weather response planning”.
Lismore, the epicentre of flooding across the Northern Rivers, peaked at 14.4 metres in late February.
A state government-commissioned inquiry into the devastating floods which killed 13 people and destroyed some 4000 homes made 28 recommendations including overhauling Resilience NSW, the main agency tasked with emergency response.
HRW’s report on Friday drew on interviews with 23 Lismore flood survivors who squarely blamed NSW and local authorities for not providing adequate flood warnings, evacuation, or rescue support.
The rights group cited the testimony of North Lismore resident Laurie Axtens, 57, who feared for the lives of his mother, Valerie, 91, and Christopher, 53, his brother, who has a disability.
As the water rose, Mr Axtens was unable to lift them into the roof cavity.
“I tried to ring them, I couldn’t even get through. I tried to ring 000. And he put me on hold! It was terrifying to be completely honest,” he said.
“I could have gotten into the loft in my house, but I couldn’t get Val or Christopher”.
“If it was just left to the government response, we were stuffed”.
Another stranded local was 32 year-old South Lismore resident Jahnaya Mumford who was 38 weeks pregnant the night the flood waters rose rapidly.
Like many of her neighbours, she had moved her car to higher ground earlier that day and did not receive an evacuation order from emergency services.
Once the gushing waters rose, Ms Mumford, her mother, and her 13-year-old daughter called emergency services 35 times asking to be rescued but their attempts were rebuffed.
“My first phone call I think was 3.30 am. I said I’ve got two young kids and I’m 38 weeks pregnant.
The water’s just about to come inside my top story of my house … and they said we aren’t doing any rescues till daylight”.
“By the time it got to our chins, and I was standing on my tippy toes. I was starting to panic; I was worried I was going to go into labour”.
In response to HRW’s report, the State Emergency Service said it had deployed rescue crews “in accordance with existing emergency management arrangements”.
“As an emergency service organisation, we will always be looking out for what we can do better,” it said.
Major regional towns on flood alert as rivers peak
Towns such as Forbes and Wagga Wagga are on flood alert, even though rain has subsided.
With more than 100 emergency warnings, regional NSW towns from Forbes to Wagga Wagga are bracing for floodwaters to rise even as blue skies appear.
Tweet from @NSWSES
The Murrumbidgee River has also burst its banks, with major floods peaking overnight and evacuation orders for Wagga Wagga in place.
Major flooding is also occurring at Gundagai, with river levels now higher than April 1989 floods.
Moderate flooding continues at Narrandera, with major flooding possible early next week. It’s a similar scenario for Darlington Point as more water rises overnight.
In the wheatbelt town of Forbes in the state’s central west, some 600 people were told to evacuate their homes by 4pm on Thursday as rising waters threaten to cut off properties and strand residents.
Cattle farmer Charles Laverty was busy sandbagging his property on the outskirts of Forbes with about one third of his paddocks already underwater.
Continued flooding has hit inland communities hard, as farmers struggle to recover from repeated bouts of destruction to crops and livestock.
“A lot of (my neighbours) have given up on harvesting those areas, which is very expensive,” Mr Laverty told AAP.
“The losses are going to be devastating for them.”
Record flooding is forecast in Forbes on Friday night when the Lachlan River is expected to peak, NSW SES Zone Commander Ben Pickup said.
He said peaks would continue through to Saturday morning.
“I really encourage the community of Forbes – please listen to the warning information,” he said.
Major flooding on the Lachlan River on Thursday is causing inundations in the town of Nanami.
Major flooding continues further downstream at Condobolin, with the river not expected to fall for weeks.
The post ‘Terrifying and deadly consequences’ from Lismore flood failures: report appeared first on The New Daily.
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