More support to come as troops back up flood mop-up

Troops are on the ground in communities hit by deadly flooding, but everyday volunteers will remain vital to the response effort.

The deployment of 70 soldiers to the NSW mid-north coast came amid the clean-up from record-breaking flooding which killed five people.

Days earlier, Holly Rankin began organising volunteer efforts from Forster, and the MidCoast Community Flood Response was born.

The organisation was working with the State Emergency Service in Taree on Tuesday to get individual volunteers and community clubs involved in response efforts.

Future preparedness will also be a focus, Ms Rankin told AAP.

"There is no shortage of what really are climate disasters - they're going to come in fast and hot, and cold and wet, and if we don't have frameworks in place we're going to lose days where it really is life and death for people."

The organisation's First Nations lead Tanika Perry said mitigating disasters also involves addressing ongoing disadvantage.

"Some of our community are just living day-to-day, we are already in some sort of crisis ... with all of these other issues that we are dealing with as a community.

"There needs to be a real preventative focus on crises like this, and seeing how it plays out in other areas of Aboriginal equity."

Other community organisations have been created in response to disasters, before members turn to preparation and resilience.

Lismore locals formed Resilient Lismore after devastating, repeated flooding in 2022.

Director Elly Bird says communities become first responders after disaster, using local networks to make things happen quickly.

"It's all shoulders to the wheel, it's every hand helps," she told AAP.

But governments also have a responsibility to respond.

"It's super important once the ADF leave and once those government initiatives leave, that the community is resourced to continue the long-haul work of recovery," Ms Bird said.

Community spirit in response to disaster demonstrates the Australian ethos, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in Taree on Tuesday.

"We look after each other in difficult times. We don't leave people behind.

"Every level of government, along with every level of Australian society, stands with this community and will not leave them behind."

The commonwealth will provide a disaster recovery payment up to $1000 for eligible adults and $400 for eligible children, on top of personal hardship payments up to $900 per family.

A disaster recovery allowance will provide up to 13 weeks' income support, and primary producers will get access to concessional loans and freight subsidies.

But Mr Albanese acknowledged more help will be needed.

Ms Rankin said she was grateful the prime minister was visiting the area.

"And spending time listening ... understanding how long these people will be impacted for," she said.

"Because obviously, the measures currently announced will not suffice for these communities so we'll be expecting greater measures to be announced ASAP."

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