Ed,

I note Oscar Tamsen’s column in last week’s edition pleading with the new Councillors ‘to ensure that all citizens are well briefed on what to do in a flood emergency’.  

A couple of things concern me about the misinformation in this ‘Flooding New and Old’ column.

Mr Tamsen has clearly forgotten the biggest take home message on the back of the 2022 apocalyptic Lismore flood event is absolutely no one, and I repeat, no one has your back in a catastrophic natural disaster event.

The only people who can mobilise quick enough after a natural disaster event are your neighbours (if they are around) and that is only if they have a boat and heaven help you if you have a disability, mental health or medical diagnosis, are elderly or have kids and animals.

Natural disaster declarations are managed through the State and Federal Government under the State Emergency and Rescue Management Act. 

The state governments combat agencies for floods (SES), fires (RFS) marine (Surf Life Saving/ Marine Rescue) respond, manage and triage natural disasters at local, regional and state command centres during operations.  

The SES, RFS and local Red Cross agencies have been tasked and are actively promoting their ‘Get Ready’ Safety plans for two years and have held numerous face to face workshops and first aid courses in our region. 

All their survival brochures have been updated in print and online. 

These print assets sit in the Maclean front office and are available free of charge.

I have covered the Clarence Valley’s natural disasters for over 30 years and as a mother and businesswoman I am very prepared for what might come my way and have spoken about and promoted what to do about natural disasters on a number of Facebook pages and at workshops.

Clarence Valley Council’s only role in a natural disaster is to ensure its assets and staff are supported and to provide advice and information for the state agencies and host monthly meetings with the local emergency management committee. 

Council also has Emergency Management Procedures on their website to inform ratepayers of the procedures on the back of a natural disaster.

It is physically impossible for Council and all the state and combat agencies to do and know what is best for you in a natural disaster situation as they have 54,0000 other people to think about. 

All the state and combat agencies are promoting self-determination, have your own plan and evacuate well before you know what hits the fan. 

Finally, the most important thing anyone needs to remember on the back of a major natural disaster is this, if the levee wall is topped by an extreme flood event in Grafton and Maclean and a tidal storm surge comes through Yamba and Iluka, the power will be switched off, and that can be for days.

What happened in Lismore in 2022 is the police, ambulance, SES and fire stations were all flooded at the same time and the communications tower was knocked out. 

Lismore’s possible maximum flood (PMF) is 2 metres higher than what they had in 2022.

This is serious stuff to consider and should not be taken lightly as we live on a flood plain that clearly floods on a regular basis and are surrounded by 5 national parks, so fire and floods are a constant part of our lives, all the farming folk and old timers know this.

If Yamba were to have its possible maximum apocalyptic flood event (PMF), with a cyclone overhead, on a high king tide and a storm surge, we would have at the very least a predicted 6.07 metres of water through Yamba.

I have already asked Council to install new and update our flood warning signage but if you are keen to get a feel of what 6 metres will look like in Yamba go down to the end of Shores Drive as there is a new flood measure there.

One word, terrifying and hopefully that will be enough to prompt everyone to at least consider your own personal survival plan. 

Cr Debrah Novak, Yamba