re: rain... gold coast...flooding
A flood warning for parts of Lismore in northern New South Wales has been downgraded.
The rain has eased and the city's new levy is proving successful in protecting homes and businesses from rising flood waters.
Residents have been allowed to return in south Lismore and the city's CBD.
The Wilson River in Lismore has risen to 9.4 metres but the city's levy is proving successful in holding the water back from shops and homes.
But an official said residents of south Golden Beach, just north of Lismore, have had to deal with a sticky problem caused by the heavy rain.
"The rather sad thing for some residents is the local sewerage plant in the Golden Beach area actually was inundated by water and unfortunately it back-flooded sewage into some 50 homes and some 100 people have sadly had to evacuate their homes because of that," he said.
Meanwhile, a number of other areas in northern NSW are on flood warnings and some roads are closed.
There are flood warnings on the Bellinger River and the Pacific Highway is closed north of Ballina due to flooding.
There flood warnings for the Hastings River and a minor flood warning for the Manning River at Wingham.
In the state's north-west renewed warnings have been issued for the Gwydir River.
At Gravesend, it is expected to peak at eight metres tonight.
Tycannah Creek south of Moree is continuing rise and the Newell Highway is cut.
Moderate flooding is expected for the Namoi River at Wee Waa around midnight AEST.
Many local roads are blocked and low lying properties in the region are being urged to secure pumps and move livestock to higher ground.
