Rural Primary Health Community Nurse ‘Jenny Battrick’ called upon locals from Karuah and surrounding towns to attend the Karuah RSL on Tuesday 28 April around 3.00pm for a town meeting concerning recent storm and flooding events.

At very short notice our newly Port Stephens elected MP Member Kate Washington put together a group of representatives to attend and talk to locals and answer any concerns residents had.

Representatives included Senior Constable Alison Stewart, Jo Hamilton from Community Services and Disaster Relief program, Robyn Turner from Big 4 Karuah Jetty Holiday Park, Ross Parr from the Karuah RSL and Amanda Williams from the NSW SES.

The latest storms that lashed most of the Hunter Region were facing an unprecedented weather event that NSW SES has dealt with  since the inception of NSW State Emergency Service back in 1955, according to SES Representive Amanda Williams.

Ms Williams said, “NSW SES recently had twenty thousand calls for assistance which has seen the largest severe weather event seen, this has now  surpassed the Pasha Bulker, the Maitland Floods back in 2007, and it also surpassed the hailstorms that hit Sydney in 1999.”

“Seven thousand five hundred of these calls came from the Hunter Region Community, Port Stephens region has some active eighty five SES Members which started with seven hundred and thirty four jobs, and they now have one hundred and fifty to go,” she said.

Port Stephens has also received ten members from headquarters in Wollongong, two staff from the region headquarters, and about fifteen crews heading to the region from the Rural Fire Service.

The community was asked to be patient as these members do their best to get these jobs completed and stable as were expecting another east coast low.

Jo Hamilton from Community Services told Myall Coast News, “We are aware that the area does need resources and support and she is here to reinforce that they are behind the community and there are resources available such as a bus running to available Centre’s in Raymond Terrace as well as hampers sent out to those who had no food or transport.”

The Karuah and District Community were frustrated about the lack of communication about resources available to them in time of need.

Swan Bay residents were equally frustrated about still having no power, water or communications.

Senior Constable Stewart said, “It would be in the community’s best interest if they were to band together in the near future to form a local disaster committee.”

MP Kate Washington told Myall Coast News, “It was short notice for Port Stephens Council today, is why they could not provide a representative on the day and once the recovery stage was over there would be a lot of questions asked by different authorities as what they can do to improve on things next time.”

“I’ll definitely be spending more time up and around here and other area’s making my presen