From today, a group of local residents led by Holly Rankin and Tanika Perry will be working in collaboration with the SES to deliver much-needed support to flood-affected communities on the NSW MidCoast.
MidCoast Community Flood Response (MCFR) brings together individual volunteers and diverse community groups such as RSLs, SLSCs, sports clubs and others. With over 600 volunteers signed up in 24 hours, MCFR’s rapid response is working to ensure relief efforts are safe, strategic and aligned with the official emergency response.
The scale of this disaster is immense - over 50,000 people were cut off at the peak of the flood, over 10,000 homes affected, with more than 700 rescues conducted across the region and 5 lives tragically lost.
“With the community, we’re mobilising people to work safely alongside the SES” said Holly Rankin, a spokesperson for the group. “We’re bringing together locals, using our networks and local knowledge under the safe direction of authorities to ensure help gets where it’s needed - safely, efficiently and at scale.”
“By working in collaboration with the SES we can communicate real time needs of the community, and ensure local knowledge and connection is applied at every step.”
“We are working alongside Biripi & Birpai community to form a mob-first response, ensuring elders and community are at the heart of decision making and recovery planning, now and in the many weeks to come,” said Tanika Perry, Director of Birriwal Consulting, First Nations Lead for MCFR. “We want our mob to know they are not alone. We are here, we see you, and we will get through this together,” said Tanika.
“We need help for Taree, Wingham, Kempsey and the Mid North Coast region right now. We are actively seeking volunteer support from all over the country. This initiative can show what’s possible when locals lead, authorities engage at scale and the country rallies behind us.” Holly Rankin
The MidCoast Community Flood Response is operating out of a shared Volunteer HQ in Taree in collaboration with SES and is calling for individuals and groups to get involved.
Taree and the wider region need urgent support from around Australia to get the community back on its feet. As with previous floods and natural disasters, the recovery and rebuild is set to take years.
How to Get Involved
Register to volunteer as an individual or community group, or get in contact at:
Website: communityfloodresponse.com
Facebook: MidCoast Community Flood Response
Contact details:
Anna Lensky [email protected] 0425 766 780
