Minister for Emergency Services David Elliott and Regional Recovery Coordinator Brigadier Darren Naumann today visited the Wyong State Emergency Service (SES) unit to thank volunteers who helped save lives and houses during the recent storms.

Mr Elliott said the NSW SES and other emergency services workers had been outstanding in the immediate aftermath and he was impressed with the recovery effort – but there is still a lot of work to do.

Wyong SES members have volunteered more than 5,000 hours to help the community in the past month and are continuing to respond to calls for assistance.

“Today, I have returned to the region to thank the brave men and women from the SES who continue to help their communities after the storms which hit NSW last month,” Mr Elliott said.

“I want to assure you that the recovery of storm-affected communities like Wyong is a priority for this Government and we will continue to support you – no matter how long it takes.”

Brigadier Naumann is helping prioritise the recovery response and has visited all 10 local government areas across the Hunter and Central Coast which have been declared natural disaster areas to understand their needs.

“Individuals and communities recover at different rates, but large parts of the region are back on their feet thanks to the efforts of SES volunteers and those of all response agencies,” Brigadier Naumann said.

“I would also like to congratulate all of the councils for rallying together and helping to drive the clean-up effort from the ground up.”