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AAP
AAP
Jack Gramenz

King offers deepest possible sympathy for flood victims

The king and queen have reached out to offer their sympathy to people hit hard by recent flooding. (Adam Oswell/AAP PHOTOS)

King Charles III has expressed his admiration for emergency services and volunteers who responded to deadly flooding in Australia's most populous state.

Five people died and more than 1200 buildings were made uninhabitable after the record-breaking deluge across the  NSW mid-north coast and surrounding regions.

The flooding, which has now mostly ended, "greatly concerned" himself and his wife, Queen Camilla.

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla
King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited NSW seven months ago. (Roni Bintang/AAP PHOTOS)

"We can only say that our thoughts are very much with all those who have been affected so badly, especially the family and friends of the five people who tragically lost their lives," the King said in a message shared by Australia's Governor-General Sam Mostyn.

"We send our special prayers and deepest sympathy to all who mourn them."

The King also praised the thousands of people who responded to the disaster, including 2200 SES volunteers, 2000 council and utilities workers and scores of volunteers from grassroots groups.

"I have the greatest admiration for the emergency services, the volunteers and volunteer organisations, as well as the disaster recovery agencies, who are now gathering to work together and support one another on the long road to recovery," he said.

Belongings destroyed after flooding in Taree
A massive clean up is underway for households affected by the flooding. (Adam Oswell/AAP PHOTOS)

Dairy farmers, meanwhile, are facing crippling financial situations to keep their cows fed and watered on the mid-north coast.

The mammoth floods wiped out farmland and swept some cattle into towns and out to sea, while others were drowned where they stood.

"Tackling the 'cash crunch' for farmers and communities will not only keep our farmers producing milk, but also benefit the regional communities where they shop," Australian Dairy Farmers president Ben Bennett.

He called for more government support, as more assistance was made available for those impacted by flooding on Friday.

Federal disaster recovery payments will be available for impacted residents on the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie council areas on Friday afternoon.

Dead cows on a diary farm in Taree
Large numbers of cows where killed in the flooding and some were even swept out to sea. (Dean Lewins/AAP PHOTOS)

The one-off payment is worth $1000 for adults and $400 for children who have suffered major damage to their homes, serious injuries, or deaths in the family as a result of the flooding.

The payments have already been made available in Bellingen, Coffs Harbour, Dungog, Kempsey, Maitland, Mid Coast, Nambucca Valley, Port Macquarie-Hastings and Port Stephens local government areas.

"We know this has been a traumatic time for many, and this financial support is about making sure people aren't left to face the recovery alone," Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain said.

Applications also open on Friday for federal-state payments to help cover costs for things like food, clothing, medication and emergency accommodation.

The one-off payment is worth up to $180 for individuals and $900 for families in severely impacted suburbs.

Primary producers such as dairy farmers can also access concessional loans. 

More support is being finalised, pending the completion of damage assessments, with more than 11,500 completed so far.

About 1600 people are still isolated in three communities across the mid-north coast and Hunter regions on Friday.

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