Port Macquarie North Shore residents emerge from flood isolation

Australia Broadcast Center

25-05-2025

Having lived in Port Macquarie's North Shore for more than 40 years, Carla McKern knows isolation well.
During times of flood though, that isolation goes to a new level.
The close-knit North Shore community, on the northern side of the Hastings River, is accessed from Port Macquarie by two car ferries.
Both had been out of action since Wednesday, during widespread flooding in the region.
"A lot of people have been without food for days. They're just eating whatever dry goods are in their pantry," Ms McKern said.
Ms McKern was overcome with emotion and broke down in tears as she described the generosity of the community in the past week.
"We all just go from house to house and help each other out and just clean up the best we can," she said.
"We don't know the volunteers that come over here but we are truly grateful.
"It's a lot of work to do yet but we'll get there."
The State Emergency Service gave residents a one-hour warning that one more ferry service would make the trip before it was stopped last Wednesday.
Ms McKern wanted more information to be provided earlier.
"With all the rain that we've had and with the amount of water we had in the catchment, I think that they could've done a bit better," she said.
"People that weren't home couldn't come home and do things."
More than 200 homes on the North Shore, including Ms McKern's, were damaged by floodwater.
Anne-Melissie Whelan, who moved to Port Macquarie from Melbourne last year, said the water filled half of her home's downstairs area.
Ms Whelan said she knew the flood risk in the region before her family moved.
"What we didn't know was how bad the drainage was," she said.
"Before the river even came up to us, we were already two days deep in water, which made it really bad. We need better drainage."
Ms Whelan said she sheltered her young children from the reality of what was happening.
"We were thinking, 'OK, we've got children, we can't be climbing on top of roofs. Do we need to be rescued out?'"
The North Shore did not receive an evacuation order, but was under an initial "watch and act" emergency warning. Residents were later told to "shelter now".
"I'm really grateful to live here still."
Joel Heise, his partner and two young kids are also new to the community, having only moved to the North Shore six weeks ago.
"Most floods come and go really quick, whereas this stuck around," he said.
"It surprised all of us really."
Mr Heise said his property had fared OK but it was chaos entertaining two "stir crazy" toddlers at home.
"We bought a heap of stuff just before we knew we were going to get stuck inside, but interestingly enough, [having] no power is the hardest thing," he said.
Jedd Clarke was a part of the contingent of volunteers who travelled to the isolated community.
"We spent the morning cleaning out the lower part of their houses, [removing] the debris and the wreck from the flood," he said.
Mr Clarke said tradespeople were assisting on Sunday to get power restored to the community.
"They've got plumbers and electricians working over there to give people water and get power going again," he said.
Local Rural Fire Service Captain Kingsley Seare said it was "surreal" to see his community process the flood event.
"This [the clean-up] is when the hard work happens and this is when the heartache happens," he said.
"I've been asking my crews to go around and to not only help out, but to talk to them and look them in the eye and see how they're feeling.
The ferry which travels between North Shore and the township of Port Macquarie started servicing the community again on Sunday afternoon, five days after services were halted.
Among those joining volunteers at North Shore at the weekend were Port Macquarie MP Robert Dwyer, Cowper MP Pat Conaghan and New South Wales Opposition Leader Mark Speakman.
"There's still a rescue operation going on in parts of the Mid North Coast," Mr Speakman said.
"Homes and businesses need to be looked after.
"We have to get the relief out as quickly as possible."