The Hills Shire is bracing for more flooding, with residents in Lower Portland and Wisemans Ferry given an evacuation order and local roads and reserves heavily impacted by flash flooding.
“The worst is far from over as Warragamba Dam continues to spill and there’s more rain scheduled for the coming days. This means we mustn’t become complacent. River heights are still rising and affecting communities across the low-lying areas and along the Hawkesbury River,” said Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Peter Gangemi.
“I urge residents to continue to follow the warnings and when told – to evacuate. If you remain in these areas of concern, you could become cut-off from the outside world and may end up in a position where you need to be rescued. Please don’t put yourself in this position.”
The Mayor thanked Castle Hill RSL management after the club became the LGA’s official evacuation centre.
Castle Hill Showground has also been repurposed to shelter animals, with 44 horses currently being housed on-site.
“I want to thank the RSPCA and the Greater Sydney Local Land Services for their work at the Showground,” said Mayor Gangemi.
“I went out there on Thursday to see our ‘real life Noah’s Ark’ and I was just blown away by how many residents I saw there offering help and assistance. Our community is a generous and resilient one, and these kind acts just shows that we will once again get through this tough time.”
He said Council crews and contractors would continue to work throughout the weekend to repair potholes, remove fallen trees, and monitor roads for further damage and flooding.
“Can I once again thank our SES, RFS, police, emergency teams and volunteers for everything they’ve been doing throughout this severe weather event.”
“The Hills SES have received more than 105 calls for assistance, completed over 89 jobs and given out 5,000 sandbags in the last few days. This is fantastic work by the SES and everyone else, especially since these emergency and rescue teams have been working non-stop over the last two years without too much of a break, and yet they are back out there, helping those in need.”
A number of schools in the shire remain closed, including those located in Maroota, Maraylya, Glenorie, Wisemans Ferry and Cattai. For the latest school closures, visit: www.education.nsw.gov.au.
