Residents of the Mid North Coast in New South Wales have been strongly warned against entering flood-affected areas after reports emerged of people using heavy machinery to take photos in dangerous zones.
Clear skies returned to Forster — located over three hours north of Sydney — on Sunday, following a heavy downpour of 113mm on Friday. The region was one of many in northern NSW that experienced severe flooding, which claimed at least two lives.
As floodwaters began to recede, MidCoast Council Mayor Claire Pontin urged the public to stay away from hazardous sites.
“We’re getting reports of people driving around now that the roads have reopened, trying to see the damage,” she said. “I understand the curiosity, but we ask people to stay away — especially from areas with traffic control in place.”
Mayor Pontin highlighted particularly concerning behaviour involving individuals entering zones with operating heavy machinery just to take photographs.
“Some people are putting themselves at serious risk,” she said. “They’re also interfering with ongoing recovery efforts.”
While she acknowledged that some people had legitimate reasons to access flood-affected areas — including emergency workers and volunteers — she emphasized that sightseers were creating unnecessary complications.
“One area of real concern is Wingham Peninsula, where a narrow road is attracting a lot of traffic from people just wanting to look around,” she said. “Please, don’t be a spectator. Leave space for those who need to be there.”
The MidCoast Council added that unnecessary foot and vehicle traffic was hampering the delivery of equipment and slowing the clean-up operation.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued warnings ahead of a powerful cold front expected to sweep across southeastern Australia. The system is forecast to bring strong winds, heavy rain, and even snow, marking the most significant cold front so far this year.
Meteorologist Jonathan How said the front was moving in from the Southern Ocean and would impact South Australia on Sunday before extending into Victoria and New South Wales on Monday.
Residents can expect strong northerly winds, potential dust storms in agricultural areas, and damaging gusts of over 90km/h in alpine regions. Rain is forecast for Adelaide on Monday, with conditions easing midweek.
Dam Spills
Heavy rainfall has also caused several dams across Greater Sydney to overflow. Warragamba Dam reached full capacity on Saturday afternoon, according to WaterNSW, with outflows of around 20 gigalitres expected on Sunday. Authorities advised those downstream to avoid flood plains and fast-moving water.
Smaller dams including Woronora, Nepean, Cataract, Avon, and Tallowa are also spilling. Warragamba previously overflowed three times last year — in April, May, and June.
Clean-Up Underway
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) reported that clean-up operations are underway, and efforts to deliver supplies to flood-isolated residents continue.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Allison Flaxman said that an estimated 10,000 properties had been affected. Assessments of homes and infrastructure are now beginning to determine when it is safe for residents to return.
“We ask that people wait for damage evaluations before re-entering their homes,” she said.
Over the past two days, SES teams have completed 200 resupply missions, delivering food and medications to stranded communities. Around 50,000 people are estimated to remain isolated.
