Key Points
- The flooding crisis in Victoria's north continues to deteriorate .
- Hundreds of homes are inundated and dozens of people rescued from the rising water.
The flooding crisis in Victoria's north continues to deteriorate, with hundreds of homes inundated and dozens of people rescued from the rising water.
The Australian Defence Force will increase its assistance to flood-affected residents in Victoria amid a worsening crisis across the state's north.
Emergency authorities have ordered residents in Charlton and Echuca to evacuate their homes immediately.
Those in Shepparton, Orrvale, Murchinson and Mooroopna have been told it is too late to leave, with more than 600 homes and businesses flooded across the state.
There were 103 flood rescues in the past 24 hours, with the majority in the Shepparton area, according to the Victorian State Emergency Service (SES).
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese toured flood-affected areas with Premier Daniel Andrews.
"We are working across federal, state and local government to make sure that every support is being provided to these communities that are under such enormous pressure," Mr Albanese told reporters on Sunday.
Thousands of properties without power
"I pay tribute to the volunteers and the people in these communities who are showing such resilience ... Australians are coming together, they are helping each other, and once again, we are seeing, at the worst of times, the best of the Australian character."
Mr Andrews said 355 roads remain closed in flood-affected areas, and about 6,000 properties were without power.
"Teams are working as hard as they can, but obviously rising floodwaters there are a real challenge," he said of the Shepparton area.
The town has been hit by major flooding, with the swollen Goulburn River expected to continue to rise through Sunday before peaking at 12.2 metres early on Monday.
That was higher than the 1974 flood level of 12.09 metres, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
"This is a very severe weather event that's having an impact in urban communities but also in regional communities right throughout Victoria, but particularly there in the north and the north-west," Mr Albanese told ABC Radio earlier on Sunday.
"We'll be working with the Andrews government to make sure that people get the support that they need at this difficult time."
Australian Defence Force personnel are helping authorities evacuate residents, and an evacuation centre will be opened in Mickleham at a Commonwealth facility.
Echuca is expected to be hit by two flood peaks, including one by Tuesday and another later in the week. Authorities predicted about 200 Echuca homes would be impacted by floodwaters.
Residents were advised to prepare to be away from home for seven to 10 days, with Echuca Village expected to be impacted by the middle of next week with flow-on effects from the Goulburn and Murray rivers.
"If you have not evacuated, you should shelter in the highest location possible," the SES said.
The Highway Bridge at Axedale, east of Bendigo, was damaged by floodwaters from the Campaspe River. Source: AAP / DIEGO FEDELE
The Goulburn River at Shepparton rose beyond the major flood level of 11 metres overnight and was expected to peak beyond 12 metres by Sunday night, a record level.
SES chief operations officer Tim Wiebusch said as the weather cleared, people could be underestimating the danger.
"One of the challenges is we've not got what we call blue sky flooding," he told ABC News.
"The rain has stopped ... I think it's more obvious to people when there's heavier rain."
Mr Wiebusch urged people not to drive through floodwaters.
"That just ties up our emergency services that could be supporting more vulnerable communities that are under pressure with these floods," he said.
The Goulburn River at Shepparton rose beyond the major flood level of 11 metres overnight and was expected to peak beyond 12 metres by Sunday night, a record level.
NSW coast set for more rain
More rain could hit the NSW coast as people living in already saturated catchment areas prepare for more water to flow to flood-stricken communities.
The Bureau of Meteorology said showers and storms could develop on the east coast on Sunday evening although inland areas that have received the bulk of recent rainfall were expected to be spared a further deluge.
But another storm system was forecast to develop over central Australia on Tuesday, bringing widespread rain and thunderstorms to eastern states by mid-next week.
On Saturday evening, the State Emergency Service told residents in parts of Narrandera, on the Murrumbidgee River in the Riverina region, to evacuate due to moderate flooding.
People in tourist and caravan parks at Moama were asked to prepare to leave, with an evacuation centre set up in the border town.
Floodwaters surrounded home in Forbes, NSW. Source: AAP / STUART WALMSLEY/AAPIMAGE
On Sunday morning, major flood warnings were in place for 11 rivers in NSW with renewed flooding possible in some areas despite a temporary let-up in the rain.
Thousands of residents in Forbes, in the state's central-west, have been affected by flooding after the Lachlan River peaked on Friday night.
NSW SES southern zone commander Benjamin Pickup on Saturday said it was possible rivers would rise rapidly even if the weather was fine due to the significant rainfall across western NSW over the past few weeks.
Support payments
Mr Albanese announced on Sunday four more areas were eligible to apply for federal financial assistance.
The addition of the Central Coast, Coonamble, Goulburn-Mulwaree and Parkes bring the total number of NSW local government areas with assistance available to 31.
"It's heartbreaking to think that for many people this is the third or fourth time in 18 months that their lives have been disrupted by a natural disaster of this magnitude," Mr Albanese said.
Almost 400,000 residents live in the four newly added LGAs, however close to 350,000 of them are on the Central Coast, and not all have been directly affected.
Support payments also became available in 40 LGAs across Victoria and Tasmania on Sunday.
