Hundreds of outback residents in two states will welcome the new year while evacuees in another flooded outback hamlet sleep in defense accommodation.
Authorities in West Australia anticipate that the Fitzroy River in the Kimberley region could swiftly reach moderate flood levels beginning late Saturday, affecting some of the 1600 people who live near the river, including Fitzroy Crossing.
Meanwhile, a dozen refugees from the low-lying outskirts of Menindee, near Broken Hill in New South Wales, will spend New Year’s Eve in a motel.
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The swollen Darling River climbed slowly on Saturday but is anticipated to surge quickly overnight, breaking a 1976 record of 10.47 meters established in the far western NSW town.
About 30 people decided to stay in place, satisfied they had areas that would keep them dry.
It comes after Water NSW on Saturday increased releases through the main weir to 75,000 gigalitres a day.
That volume is enough to fill Sydney Harbour – from the heads to Parramatta – within six days.
Even after Saturday night further river rises are possible, subject to inflow at the weir.
“The Menindee community have endured flooding for the best part of 12 months,” SES spokesman Dave Rankine told AAP.
“We want to thank the community – they’ve been very resilient.”
Upstream, Tilpa and Wilcannia continue to deal with major flooding but levels have eased in Louth.
Repeated flooding in all corners of NSW made for the NSW SES’s busiest year on record, it said on Saturday.
More than 80,000 requests for assistance had been made since January 1.
In WA, heavy falls from the relatively stagnant ex-tropical Cyclone Ellie were expected to cause moderate flooding in the central Kimberley region from late Saturday.
About 1600 people were affected in communities including Fitzroy Crossing, Noonkanbah and Christmas Creek.
“Water will be fast flowing and levels will rise quickly,” the Department of Fire and Emergency Services warned.
Elsewhere in the Kimberley and along the north coast to Nhulunbuy, a severe weather warning was issued for damaging winds up to 100 kilometres per hour.
The warning, due to persistent monsoonal squalls, led Darwin to cancel its New Year’s Eve fireworks.
Meanwhile, a week after Ellie produced a once-in-a-lifetime flood in Timber Creek, Northern Territory officials lifted an emergency proclamation.
Authorities have pronounced most homes in the remote village and adjacent homelands safe, but some inhabitants will be housed in Defence’s Bradshaw training area.
“I am heartened by the community resilience and actions of many local residents who acted swiftly, together with our first responders, to ensure everyone could be safely accommodated while emergency repairs were undertaken,” NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said.
As severe rains lashed the rural village near the West Australian border on December 23, over 70% of the inhabitants gathered on the local basketball court.
In 24 hours, almost 230mm of rain fell.
This story was adapted from Australian Associated Press.
