Up to 300 army troops will soon call the Tweed home as the Australian Defence Force answers the call to assist with the massive recovery operation following last week's disastrous flood.
The ADF has confirmed 500 soldiers from Brisbane will be deployed to the Tweed-Byron area to assist with the massive clean-up job. Approximately 300 of these troops will be accommodated in the Tweed, while the remainder will assist in the Byron Shire.
Council will help to coordinate the collation and management of requests for help from the ADF.
Any residents impacted by the flood and in need of assistance from the ADF are encouraged to contact Council's Contact Centre on (02) 6670 2400 or fill in an online request form easily downloaded from the Tweed Emergency Dashboard.
Requests will be taken from 9 am today, Thursday 10 March 2022.
The troops will relieve the 90 Army personnel already assisting on the ground in the Tweed recovery operation, with additional skills sent to the Tweed including engineers, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles transport and plant operators.
They will service tasks and requests channelled through the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), with a major focus on waste removal, clean-up and connecting isolated and remote areas.
Mayor of Tweed Chris Cherry said on behalf of the people of the Tweed, she was incredibly grateful for the support and assistance provided by the ADF.
"This is a significant deployment of Army personnel and resources and will provide a much-needed boost to our clean-up operations," Cr Cherry said.
"The Army personnel who have already contributed to our recovery efforts have been very much appreciated and welcomed by residents and businesses impacted by the floods.
"The task of clean-up and recovery is extremely daunting for our residents, business and Council staff and this support will hopefully provide a lift in community spirits, knowing our ADF is there to help."
Council is working with the ADF to identify and help establish 3 separate Army camp sites in the Shire for the troops while they are in the area. It is envisaged the ADF personnel will be deployed to the Tweed for as long as their assistance is needed.
Anyone requiring the Defence Force's assistance is encouraged to call the Contact Centre on (02) 6670 2400 or fill in the electronic form available on the Tweed Emergency Dashboard at emergency.tweed.nsw.gov.au/
