Ballina Shire Council Mayor, Sharon Cadwallader, has called for immediate assistance from the Australian Defence Force as the town faces what is being called a one-in-1,000 year flood.
The Mayor spoke live on Channel Nine’s Today show, saying it was heart breaking to see the northern NSW town under water.
“This crisis will pass but we’re in the thick of it right now,” she said.
“It’s a situation where we have a one-in-1,000 year flood now, I’m hearing, and it’s pretty evident that’s what we’re experiencing right now.
“We’re doing all we can. The SES have been amazing but it’s courage under fire, it really is.
“We need help right now. We need the ADF here right now to help us out with petrol for the SES, with communications – we’ve got to have communications.
“We’re in quite a desperate situation.”
The SES issued an evacuation order for the town centre on Tuesday afternoon, directing residents to leave by 7pm.
Ballina Hospital was also evacuated due to the rising flood waters. NSW Ambulance and the SES relocated 55 patients to Xavier Catholic College where a makeshift emergency facility has been set up.
