Western NSW floods

A Regional Recovery Coordinator will be appointed to oversee the clean-up and recovery effort from the foods which have hit Western NSW.

Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Emergency Services David Elliott announced retired NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Owens would lead the recovery, during a visit to Forbes to thank emergency services workers involved in the flood response.

The NSW Government will also put in place protections to ensure emergency service volunteers involved in the flood operation are not penalised by their employers for giving up their time.

The NSW SES, assisted by other agencies such as Rural Fire Service and Fire & Rescue NSW, have been helping residents evacuate their properties and move livestock and equipment to higher ground.

There have been more than 2,300 requests for assistance, mostly relating to roof damage, fallen trees and flooding, and 97 flood rescues.

Evacuation orders remain in place for the North, East, South and West parts of Forbes affecting more than 230 residential properties and some businesses. An evacuation centre is operating at the Forbes High School.

“Emergency services and volunteers have been doing an incredible job. I want to ensure their efforts are coordinated in a way that allows communities to rebuild and recover as quickly as possible,” Mr Baird said.

"We understand the challenges faced by communities after a flood such as this and are committed to ensuring they continue to receive the support they need.”

Mr Elliott said several inland regions of NSW have now been affected and there are several roads closed right across the state.

“With school holidays underway, we are urging people to be aware of flood-affected areas and to not drive through flood water,” Mr Elliott said.

Information on disaster assistance can be found at www.ses.nsw.gov.au, www.emergency.nsw.gov.au and www.disasterassist.gov.au.