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A new community recovery centre has opened at Chinderah, providing additional support to residents impacted by the recent flooding.
Located at the Seventh Day Adventist Church at Phillip St, Chinderah, the centre has been set up with the support of Resilience NSW and Tweed Shire Council.
It will provide additional face-to-face support for the many frail and elderly residents of the area, particularly those who reside in residential caravan parks along the riverfront at Chinderah and which were inundated by floodwaters.
The Chinderah Recovery Centre will support the main recovery centre at Murwillumbah Civic Centre, and includes Service Australia, Service NSW, The Department of Communities and Justice and Tweed Shire Council. Residents will have the option to be transported by bus to Murwillumbah to access additional services if required.
News of the additional recovery centre comes as the scale of the disaster in the Tweed continues to unfold. Of the 3,940 homes assessed by agencies in the Shire to date, more than 2,100 buildings have been found to have suffered damage in the flood. A total of 498 dwellings have been declared uninhabitable, with this number expected to rise as assessments continue.
Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry said the sheer enormity of the damage to residents' homes was difficult to comprehend.
"Now the rush of adrenaline is beginning to ease after the initial crisis, the enormity of the challenge before us is kicking in," Cr Cherry said.
"The Tweed was experiencing a housing crisis before the flood – this just adds to the severity of the situation. Council is meeting with regional and national recovery coordinators to press the urgency of the situation for people in need of housing. We are doing everything we can to assist people to get back into their homes if at all possible.
"I urge all residents to register for assistance as soon as possible so we can get that help."
The Australian Defence Force has increased its presence in the Tweed and is working with residents and Council to expedite the flood clean-up. Anyone who requires assistance can lodge their request by contacting Council's Contact Centre on 02 6670 2400 or online via the Tweed Emergency Dashboard.
The Murwillumbah Recovery Centre is open 7 days a week, from 9 am to 5 pm each day. The Chinderah Recovery Centre will be open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.
Services on offer at the Murwillumbah Recovery Centre include mental health support, chaplaincy, Resilience NSW, Service NSW (all services), Centrelink, Department of Communities and Justice (Housing), Department of Primary Industries and Local Land Services, all major insurers, Legal Aid NSW, Red Cross, the National Recovery and Resilience Agency and Services Australia.
Available services at the Murwillumbah Recovery Centre are updated daily on Council's website.
For a daily update on how and where to help, visit the Tweed Emergency Dashboard and press the Recovery tab.
