Anthony Albanese has warned the recovery from overwhelming floods could take months but has promised less red tape and more money for those affected
The prime minister visited Milton Johnson's dairy farms, as well as overalls-clad emergency members and army troops at Taree - the epicentre of the latest floods.
He praised the farmer's perseverance and the spirit shown by other residents in weathering natural disasters.
"Milton has been there for 74 years on his farm and the loss of stock, the devastation that we have witnessed firsthand is being only exceeded by the extraordinary resilience that these Australians are showing," he said on Tuesday.
"This is not something that will go away in a matter of days or weeks or even months. (The recovery) will take some time, but Australians are resilient ... we will come through it together."
Mr Albanese pledged more financial assistance with a one-off disaster recovery payment in nine local government areas of $1000 for eligible adults to kick in on Tuesday.
A disaster recovery allowance which provides up for 13 weeks of income support will be extended to 19 local government areas.
"The last thing that people who've been through this experience need is to deal with bureaucracy and red tape," the prime minister said.
"We want to make sure that the money flows."
But NSW Nationals leader Dugald Saunders said the lump sum payments allotted were paltry, especially for primary producers.
"It's a good start ... but that will last only a week or so," he told AAP in Taree.
"That's not going to get fences back up in their paddocks. That's not going to buy all the new engines and gear they need to run their farms.
"It's a pretty big slap in the face."
Some 70 defence personnel have been deployed to help with the mop-up efforts in the latest natural disaster to hit NSW, which killed five people and left hundreds of homes uninhabitable.
Damage assessments are continuing with 794 premises including homes and businesses on the Mid North Coast deemed uninhabitable, SES spokesman Matt Heap told AAP on Tuesday.
The dwellings figure is expected to rise.
Weather conditions are set to ease from Wednesday but damaging winds will pass through the region first.
"We do have damaging wind warnings ... that includes the high elevated parts of the mid-north coast and northern Hunter," senior meteorologist Dean Narramore from the Bureau of Meteorology said on Tuesday.
"We could see showers develop this afternoon with strong and gusty winds but those conditions should ease tonight and then they'll clear out by Wednesday."
Affected locals have been picking up muddied possessions and surveying damage, while drones have been used to drop hay to isolated farms and for aerial welfare checks at properties.
Michael Kemp, state MP for Oxley - which covers four local government areas on the Mid North Coast - said it was tough seeing "people's livelihoods on the side of the kerb".
Insurers have so far received almost 4900 claims.
The Insurance Council of Australia declared the event as an "insurance catastrophe", meaning firms will prioritise flood-affected communities.
"The decision to upgrade this event reflects the breadth and severity of damage caused to impacted communities," chief executive Andrew Hall said.
"It will also serve to activate additional services and support for affected homeowners and businesses and reassure them that their insurer is there to help."
The crisis has prompted federal-state natural disaster recovery arrangements, including small loans for business, which have been activated for 19 local government areas.
