FLOOD DAMAGE Govt agrees to major costs

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33442, 25 January 1974, Page 19

FLOOD DAMAGE Govt agrees to major costs

(A’.Z. Press Association—Copyright) CANBERRA, January 24. The Australian Government has agreed to meet the major costs of helping flood victims in New South Wales and Queensland.

The New South Wales Government will be expected to pay for flood relief measures to" a maximum annual amount of $5 million. Any more will be met by the Federal Government. The New South Wales Minister for Agriculture (Mr Geoff Crawford) estimated recently that flood damage in north-western New South Wales could cost $4O million. This would mean the Federal Government’s bill would be $35 million in Nev; South Wales alone. In western New South Wales, the swollen Barwon River reached a record level yesterday at Brewarrina. 500 miles north-west of Sydney but was reported holding steady. Residents fear that rain might soften and break, the; levees.

The levees ring about 75 per cent of the town and have been reinforced by about 20,000 sandbags. The Royal Australian Air Force flew enough serum into the town yesterday to inoculate 2000 people against hepatitis.

One confirmed case of the disease has been reported. The State Emergency Services Welfare Centre is feeding about 300 flood victims and has people watching the levees 24 hours a day. It is also conducting a purification programme to supply drinking water to the town. Thirty Aborigines who stopped work on the levees on Monday continued their boycott yesterday. They are protesting about the lack of boats to service a flooded

Aboriginal settlement outside the levees.

A State Emergency Services spokesman said that a boat had been on normal duty, including servicing the settlement, except for 12 hours early yesterday when it was used in a suspected drowning.

The service reported hundreds of thousands of acres in New South Wales still flooded yesterday. Wee Waa, Walgett, Collarenebri, Lightning Ridge, Mungindi, and Goodooga remained isolated.