Fresh flood crisis in northern N.S.W.

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33433, 15 January 1974, Page 14

Fresh flood crisis in northern N.S.W.

\ Z. Press Association—Copyright! SYDNEY, January 14. More heavy rains, accompanied by flood-waters moving downstream from northern New South Wales, have created a new flood crisis in the hitherto parched far-western districts of the state, which have received almost all their annual rainfall in one week.

The mining city of Broken Hill, now cut off from Sydney and Melbourne. was drenched today by two inches of rain in three hours. The Australian Government today granted SlOO.OOO to the New South Wales Government for emergency relief work, but the State Premier (Sir Robert Askin) raid immediately that his Government would be asking for much more; flood relief.

he said, would run into many millions of dollars. The State Cabinet will i hold an emergency meeting I i tomorrow. Helicopters which had been used extensively ini north-western New South 1 . Wales flew to the west today (to make food drops, and to ; rescue floodbound graziers] r and their families from iso-1 » lated homesteads, j While Army and Air Force s helicopters in both Queens-' , land and New South Wales] ‘ continue their flood-relief' work, graziers around the l , border town of Mungindi .have hired their own heliI copter. It is costing them ; 8100 an hour for airdrops of I food and for mustering live(stock to higher ground. Railway closed The plight of travellers in the north-west of Queensland was worsened today by] the closing of the main railway line between Cloncurry land Julia Creek.

I Many motorists wanting to freight their cars across the 'flooded sections were turned away at Cloncurry today; land at Mount Isa about 100 people are waiting to be | flown to their properties in the Gulf country. To the east, Collarenebri remains isolated. The Barwon River is rising slowly,] the peak being expected; during the night.

The Namoi River at Wee Waa has been steadily dropping since Saturday, but the town is still isolated.

State emergency services officials in Walgett are confident that the levees protecting the town will hold against the flooding Barwon and Namoi Rivers.

In the west, at Wilcannia, a helicopter picked up a couple on the WilcanniaWhite Cliffs road after their

car became bogged and a youth had walked 16 miles back to Wilcannia to seek help