Across Northern NSW, recovery services are setting up ahead of community outreach as the NSW Government appoints a Recovery Coordinator in the wake of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. The NSW State Emergency Service supported by other emergency services are continuing to deal with the impacts of the extreme weather and will be completing damage assessments as it becomes safe to enter flooded areas. As floodwater recedes, the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) is preparing to support regional communities and begin recovery operations as quickly as possible. As a preemptive step to boost recovery efforts for impacted communities, the NSW Government has appointed NSW Police Superintendent Scott Tanner as Recovery Coordinator for the region. Mr Tanner played a critical role in the 2022 Northern Rivers floods, serving as the local emergency operations controller and assisting the coordination of recovery efforts across the region. From early next week, community outreach will begin with RA and other emergency services checking in on communities in key locations across Northern NSW. “This is an anxious time for residents and communities across NSW, which is why we have taken the pre-emptive step and appointed Superintendent Tanner as Recovery Coordinator for Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, so that when the weather has passed, we can immediately move to recovery,” said Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully. Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery and Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin revealed that while she is sorry regional communities in Northern NSW are “in this position again”, she welcomes the announcement. “I know Mr Tanner extremely well,” she said. “We worked very closely during the 2022 floods, and as he’s the Superintendent in my electorate, I know he is the right person to work with communities to help us recover as soon as possible.” As the focus turns towards recovery, critical information about recovery support will be available online at nsw.gov.au/cyclonealfredrecovery