Last updated: Thursday, March 3 2022.

Defence support to Queensland and NSW governments is being delivered under Operation Flood Assist 2022.

Personnel involved (approximate):

  • Total personnel deployed on task in Queensland: 70
  • Total personnel on standby in Queensland: 550
  • Total personnel deployed on task in New South Wales: 170
  • Total personnel on standby in New South Wales: 115
  • Liaison staff are embedded in NSW and Queensland emergency operation centres.

Ongoing tasks:

  • Defence continues its efforts in to support the Queensland and NSW governments across a range of search and rescue and recovery tasks.

In Queensland:

  • 70 Army personnel are in the Gympie region to support local emergency services.
  • Defence personnel are embedded in the State Disaster Coordination Centre (SDCC) and the District Disaster Coordination Cells (DDCC) at Gympie, Gold Coast and Ipswich, as well as Brisbane Local Disaster Coordination Cell (LDCC).
  • Approximately 550 personnel are in Brisbane conducting preparation with an expectation of being tasked from today.

In New South Wales:

  • Approximately 100 personnel in NSW are pre-positioning to northern NSW with an additional 115 on standby.
  • Four MRH-90 Taipan helicopters are now staging out of Grafton to support disaster relief efforts in the region. Tasking includes food and stores distribution, resupply and patient transfers.
  • Two Navy MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and one commercially contracted AW-139 helicopter are located at HMAS Albatross in Nowra for search and rescue operations in day and night conditions in NSW.
  • One commercially contracted AW-139 helicopter at RAAF Base Williamtown conducting search and rescue operations in NSW.
  • Ground support to Lismore, Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah, Coffs Harbour Grafton and Port Macquarie are involved in a range of tasks including evacuation support, door knocking, sandbagging and posturing for post-flood action.

As of Wednesday, 2 March:

In Queensland:

  • An additional 550 personnel (approximate) were conducting preparation for tasking.
  • Defence adjusted its posture in response to the situation in northern NSW, and Bell 412 commercially-contracted helicopters from Oakey are now supporting the Brisbane basin.

In New South Wales:

  • Defence increased its support to NSW search and rescue efforts with four MRH-90 Taipan helicopters and one AW-139 helicopter.
  • Defence deployed an air-liaison team into the SES location in Wollongong.
  • Approximately 70 ADF personnel from Army's 5th Brigade are undertaking a range of tasks in support of emergency services in Lismore, Coffs Harbour, Tweed Heads, Grafton and Murwillumbah, including sandbagging and evacuation support.
  • Helicopter crews conducted 11 missions across the region including the critical relocation of seven renal patients, transport of medical stores, equipment and food distribution.

As of Tuesday, 1 March:

In Queensland:

  • 25 Defence personnel were undertaking flood-relief tasks in Brisbane, with additional personnel conducting preparation.
  • Defence embedded staff in the State Disaster Coordination Centre (SDCC) and the State Disaster Mitigation Committee (SDMC) at Gympie, Brisbane City, Southport and Ipswich.
  • Army's 7th Brigade deployed liaison officers and route recon teams into heavily affected areas, including Gympie, Brisbane City, Ipswich and Coolangatta in preparation for potential requests for assistance for ADF to assist with recovery and clean-up operations.
  • Darwin's 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, provided short-notice support to flood-affected aged-care facilities in Yeronga, The Gap, Lutwyche, Mitchelton and Tallebudgera.
    • Four general-duties teams of ADF personnel were deployed to assist with flood evacuation and clean-up efforts, in addition to the existing five teams already assisting aged-care facilities as part of Operation COVID-19 Assist.

In New South Wales:

  • Defence continued providing emergency support to the NSW State Emergency Service in flood-affected areas in several areas of northern NSW.
  • Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft providing aerial surveillance and imagery support was extended into northern NSW flood-affected regions.
  • Additional personnel were being prepared in Sydney for emergency support tasks in northern NSW, if required.
  • Defence embedded staff in the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) at Homebush and SESHQ in Wollongong.
  • ADF helicopter crews conducted seven rescue missions resulting in 17 people rescued across a variety of locations in NSW including Woodburn, Dunoon, Bungawalbin, Upper Wilsons Creek, Kyogle, Swan River and Upper Main Arm.

As of Monday, 28 February:

  • Readying additional ADF personnel so that they can move within 24 hours' notice to augment support efforts.
  • In accordance with Emergency Management Australia priorities, Defence was focusing delivery of ADF rotary-wing support into northern NSW region.

In Queensland:

  • Defence continued to make preparations to support the Queensland Government requirements for evacuation handling centres if needed.
  • ADF personnel deployed to aged-care facilities in the Brisbane area assisted with flood preparation including sandbagging and subsequent clean-up after flood waters had receded.
  • Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Defence visited 7th Brigade in Brisbane to receive a brief on the brigade's capabilities, and also an update on the ADF efforts in assisting with flood relief.
  • A helicopter crew provided urgent search and rescue support in looking for a car that had been reportedly swept away down Albert River in the vicinity of Logan. The search was called off when it was confirmed that the car was unoccupied.
  • One AW139 helicopter deployed from Townsville to south-east Queensland to reinforce ADF rotary-wing effects in Queensland and northern NSW.
  • One Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft provided aerial surveillance and imagery of the Mary River in the Gympie and Maryborough regions, flood-affected areas of the Brisbane River, and conducted two ad-hoc surveys of catchment areas in the Sunshine Coast Airport and Caloundra Airport regions.

In New South Wales:

  • Helicopter crews conducted seven rescue missions resulting in 23 people rescued across a variety of locations, including Lismore, Ballina and Gundurimba.

As at Sunday, 27 February:

  • Defence provided an Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft from South Australia to provide aerial surveillance support to the Queensland Government about flood and damage assessments.
  • Two MRH-90 Taipan helicopters continued search and rescue operations, including winch recovery.
  • Two commercial contracted rescue helicopters in Brisbane continued to be on standby to supplement Defence capability.
  • ADF helicopter crews conducted 10 rescue missions in Queensland resulting in 19 people rescued across a wide variety of locations, including Regency Downs, Woolshed Creek and Lake Clarendon among others.
    • Aircrews responded to a property at Mount Tarampa where a family who were surrounded by water in their home was rescued.
    • Aircrew conducted a rescue winch recovery of a man in flood waters at Prenzlau, who was subsequently evacuated to RAAF Base Amberley.
  • ADF provided emergency support to the NSW State Emergency Service in flood affected areas in the Northern NSW region with help from the Army's 5th Brigade.
    • As part of this support, approximately 70 Army Reserve soldiers from the 41st Battalion the Royal New South Wales Regiment were undertaking a range of tasks including sandbagging, door knocking and transportation.

As at Saturday, February 26:

  • Defence received a request from the Queensland Government, through Emergency Management Australia, to increase its support.
    • Helicopter crews conducted eight rescue missions resulting in 28 people being rescued.
    • The rescues took place in vicinity of Regency Downs, Woolshed Creek, Clarendon, Rifle Range and Mount Tarampa in Queensland.
    • Rescue details include:
      • Aircrew responded to a property at Regency Downs, where a mother and infant along with four children, who were surrounded by water in their home, were rescued.
      • Aircrew also successfully searched for and located three missing men in a dinghy who were in difficulty after setting off to help neighbours. They were winched into the helicopter and transported safely at RAAF Base Amberley.
      • At approximately 2:45pm Queensland local time, an MRH-90 Taipan helicopter was tasked to a rescue at Lake Clarendon where a community member was stranded on the roof of a vehicle.

As at Friday, February 25:

  • Following a request by Queensland Police, Defence commenced support to rescue efforts of civilians affected by the Queensland floods.
  • Australian Army MRH-90 Taipan helicopters assisted the rescue of community members trapped in flood-affected areas in south-east Queensland.
  • Helicopter crews conducted two missions resulting in two separate rescues resulting in four people being rescued. The rescues took place in vicinity of Gatton and Jimboomba (Boonah).

Defence will continue to provide additional support as requested by the Queensland and NSW governments. Defence is ready to support the states as the flood emergency and recovery efforts continue.

Imagery from Operation Flood Assist is available here.