A police helicopter rescue in flooded areas near the NSW town of Taree. Photo: Supplied/NSW Police
A team from Fire and Emergency New Zealand is on its way across the Tasman after a formal request for help from their New South Wales counterparts.
Floodwaters which left five dead and tens of thousands isolated are receding following record rainfall late last week.
FENZ assistant national commander Nick Pyatt told Morning Report the team of six will work in liaison, leaving Australian firefighters to focus on the emergency response.
He said the four community liaison officers and two jurisdictional liaison officers would work in the field with affected communities making sure they were connected with services and acted as the link between those in the field, the State Emergency Service and FENZ.
Firefighters were still rescuing people from the floodwaters, and that would likely continue until mid-week when the recovery phase would get more underway, he said.
The worst hit areas were about 19 isolated mid-North Coast and Hunter communities, Pyatt said.
The two countries' firefighting services have worked "seamlessly together" in other emergencies.
"They came over and supported us through Cyclone Gabrielle, and we sent up to 51 personnel in 2022 for flooding response. We help each other out in times of need."
The team was planning on heading over for the week, but Pyatt said that could be extended.
"It will just depend. In 2022 we ended up doing four rotations. There is a chance we could be asked to assist more in the ongoing rescue, because the Australians also have to maintain their capabilities to respond to other emergencies, so we may be called on to assist."
Authorities fear at least 10,000 homes and businesses have been destroyed or seriously damaged, and around 30,000 residents remained cut off.
Records showed this month had been the wettest since at least the 1800s in some of the worst hit areas.
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