More financial support has been announced for flood-hit communities in New South Wales and Queensland as communities deal with the aftermath of flood events.
The NSW premier will visit Lismore as the city faces its worst ever flood crisis which left six people dead and looks set to cost insurers hundreds of millions of dollars.
The cost of the floods in NSW alone is now more than $240 million, according to the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA), who said estimates from the total number of claims from NSW and Queensland peaked over $1 billion on Friday afternoon.
A supplied image shows flood-affected properties in Lismore. Source: AAP / Bradley Richardson
"Based on previous flood events the estimated current cost of claims is now just over $1 billion," the ICA said.
Six deaths have been confirmed in the state's floods, the most recent a man believed to be in his 40s whose body was found near Terragon, south of Murwillumbah, on Friday afternoon.
NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole announced farmers will be able to access $15,000 immediately through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
Grants of up to $75,000 are available for primary producers in disaster-declared local government areas.
"We know it's going to be a long road to recovery for our farmers, however this funding means they'll have access to immediate support as well as in the crucial period of rebuilding ahead," he said Saturday.
$558.5 million package for flood-hit communities in Queensland
Financial support is now available for small businesses and organisations in Queensland's flood-affected communities.
The federal and state governments have announced an initial $558.5 million package for the state.
Grants of up to $75,000 will be available to primary producers, while there will be $50,000 grants for small businesses and not-for-profit organisations, and $20,000 grants for sporting and community clubs.
"From the start of these floods we have said we are in this together and this extraordinary assistance package is an example of just that," Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Saturday.
Members of the Army arrive in Fairfield to help residents with clean up in Brisbane on 4 March 2022. Source: AAP / AAP
Woman's body found in floodwaters
Eleven people have died in the major floods in Queensland triggered by days of record-breaking rain which pummelled the state's most heavily populated region between Gympie and the NSW border.
Queensland Police divers found the body of a woman in Mudgeeraba floodwaters on the outskirts of the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Police will have to forensically identify the body to confirm whether it is a 42-year-old woman who was reported missing on Tuesday after being last seen on Sunday, 27 February.
One person was still listed as missing in the southeast Queensland flood zone on Saturday morning. The elderly man was seen falling from a boat on the Brisbane River near Breakfast Creek on Saturday, February 26.
Whole communities remain cut off by floodwaters, close to 8,700 properties are still without power and up to 17,000 homes and businesses have been submerged and damaged.
Iban Ameztoy has compiled an animation of Queensland flood damage using satellite images, showing the visual impact on the landscape from overhead.
Conditions eased on Friday, and while thunderstorms and showers are forecast over the next few days, the Bureau of Meteorology is not predicting widespread significant rainfall.
Catchments in the flood watch area remain very wet and rain may cause localised rises in creeks and rivers, but it's not expected to worsen the current flooding situation.
Some of the region's flood-related deaths were due to water moving "very quickly in areas that we're not used to," Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll told reporters on Friday.
"So over the next few days as the showers, and storms, and rain continues, please be aware of that flash flooding, be aware of your circumstances," she said.
Flood risk in southern NSW and heavy rainfall on north coast
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter carried out five rescues on Friday, including in northern NSW, as the town of Coraki, south of Lismore, remains isolated by floodwaters.
The helicopter crew also assisted people living west of Mullumbimby after a landslide in the area.
Concerns have been raised about the depth of the government's preparation, resourcing and response to the disastrous floods, with Premier Dominic Perrottet acknowledging on Friday it was likely mistakes were made.
Those will be identified when the government conducts its reviews and the premier pledged to "resource every level of government to a level that will provide protection to the people of our state".
Mr Perrottet, who will visit Lismore on Saturday, announced Emergency Services Minister Steph Cook will soon take on the role of Flood Recovery Minister.
"The immense scale of the flooding is unprecedented and we are putting equally unprecedented resources into the significant clean-up and long-term recovery effort," Ms Cook said.
About 400 NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire & Rescue NSW and Australian Defence Force personnel have also been deployed to help the clean-up effort.
Flood risks continue further south, as the SES warns moderate flooding was occurring on the Hawkesbury River on Saturday morning at Windsor, Sackville, where evacuation orders remain in place, and there are fears of flooding at Wiseman's Ferry.
Continued forecast rains on Sunday could trigger flood waters to rise from major to moderate levels, the SES warned.
In Penrith, flooding on the Nepean has eased and river levels are below the minor level at 3.88 metres, although the SES warns renewed rises are possible on Sunday with current forecasts.
Residents of Tuggerah Lake and surrounds have also been told to evacuate from low-lying areas after heavy rainfall and "abnormally high tides" caused the Wyong River and Tuggerah Lake catchments to rise.
The SES evacuated residents from Croki on the Mid North Coast early Saturday morning as the BoM warns of possible flooding of the Manning River.
NSW will continue to be affected by severe thunderstorms and isolated areas of heavy rainfall on the north coast until Sunday, the BoM warned.
"Depending on where these storms develop, further river rises are possible over the coming days due to already saturated catchments," the BoM said in a statement.
Further rain over the weekend falling in saturated catchments could cause renewed river rises in areas already devastated by flooding.
Cash management providers Prosegur and Armaguard have delivered cash to Casino, Byron Bay and other towns around northern NSW as electronic payment systems were taken out of action and ATMs ran out of notes.
