Up to 300 army troops will soon call the Tweed home as the Australian Defence Force (ADF) 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 will be accommodated in the Tweed, while the remainder will assist in the Byron Shire.
Tweed Shire Council said it will help to coordinate the collation and management of requests for help from the ADF.
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 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,” Mayor 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 said it was working with the ADF to identify and help establish three separate Army camp sites for troops staying in the area.
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/
