After three weeks spent helping thousands of residents and business owners in some of the NSW communities hit hardest by floods, defence troops are withdrawing.
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Hundreds of Australian Defence Force troops helped thousands of people with the herculean clean up from last month's catastrophic flood crisis, with communities on the Mid-North coast the focus of their efforts..
At its peak, around 850 Army, Navy and Air Force personnel were assigned to the operation, supporting recovery efforts in and around Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Nambucca, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Taree and the Hawkesbury Nepean.
Commander of the ADF Joint Task Group for NSW, Brigadier Mick Garraway, said the ADF was always ready to help Australians in need.
"It has been an enormous privilege to be able to help out in some small way whether it's removing debris, clearing roads to provide access, or clearing other flood and storm damage to support access to critical infrastructure or essential services," Brigadier Garraway said on Monday.
"We've worked closely with Resilience NSW and other state agencies to ensure that our resources have been directed to areas most in need."
ADF personnel helped state-led aerial evacuation operations, removed 900 tonnes of waste from homes, properties and businesses, checked, cleared and reopened 170km of roads, repaired several jetties and piers, transported hundreds of litres of water and thousands of litres of fuel as well as delivering 650kg of fodder to local farmers.
Australian Associated Press
