Following severe thunderstorms and intense rainfall between 15 and 17 January, a natural disaster declaration has been made for Port Stephens, with support available for residents, businesses, and primary producers.
Mayor Leah Anderson expressed her gratitude to everyone involved in the emergency response.
"The impacts of this storm and the subsequent power outages have been felt right across our community and recovering from a disaster like this is a complex process that may take months, even years to overcome," Mayor Anderson said.
"On behalf of all councillors and the whole community, I want to thank our wonderful staff for all their hard work over the past few days – keeping our community informed, attending community hubs and monitoring our road conditions," she added.
Mayor Anderson also recognised all the other agencies involved.
"Congratulations and sincerest thanks to our incredible emergency services, especially the SES, Ausgrid and all the others supporting the response and recovery effort across Port Stephens," Mayor Anderson said.
"There's a variety of excellent community services in Port Stephens that have already assisted many individuals and continue to provide support in different ways, including laundry services, housing, and food assistance.
"We're currently working with these services to collate a list of these resources, which we'll share with the community soon," she added.
Mayor Anderson called for the community's patience during the recovery phase.
"There's still a lot of work to go to get back to normality, and I ask for the community's support as we plan our recovery," Mayor Anderson said.
"We'll continue to advocate to state and federal governments for their continued support to help – it's our job to help ensure we get the best possible outcomes for the Port Stephens community.
"Hopefully, the rain stays away for a while, so we can start to work together again to rebuild an even stronger Port Stephens," she concluded.
