Flood-affected communities are being further supported through the extension of a range of flood recovery programs to safely clear debris and hazardous chemicals from land and waterways.
Minister for Environment James Griffin said extending the NSW Environment Protection Authority’s (EPA) flood clean-up programs helps the flood recovery effort.
“Already this year, the EPA’s Shoreline Clean-up Program has made enormous progress, removing more than 9400 cubic metres of flood debris from waterways around NSW,” Mr Griffin said.
“By extending these programs, we’re helping our flood-affected communities recover faster, and restoring our environment both on the land and in the water.”
Extended programs include the Shoreline Clean-up Program, the Submerged Debris Program, the Land Based program, and Agricultural Chemical Clean Out program.
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said a safe and quick clean-up is critical for helping flood-affected communities get back on their feet.
“Continuing these programs will provide a much needed boost for communities cleaning-up after yet another flood,” Ms Cooke said.
“We know debris can spread far and wide after a flood, like we’ve seen in the Northern Rivers, which is why we’re pulling out all stops to get the clean-up complete, so the long-term recovery can begin.”
Members of the community can report flood debris in local rivers and beaches or seek advice regarding the removal of hazardous materials through the Environment Line on 131 555 or info@epa.nsw.gov.auor flood.programs@epa.nsw.gov.au