Forbes In Central West NSW Prepares For Worst Flooding Event In 70-Years

Thousands of residents across regional New South Wales waited with bated breath overnight as Australia's flood crisis continues.

Several communities around Forbes, Wagga Wagga, Cowra and Gunnaedah have been evacuated as local rivers and dams continue to overflow after more torrential rain.

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As the town prepares for its worst flooding in 70-years, over 1,000 residents in the Forbes area of central west New South Wales have been forced to evacuate.

Meanwhile, major flooding has begun at Wagga Wagga for the first time in a decade with people living in Wagga, North Wagga and Gumly Gumly also ordered to evacuate overnight.

Minister for Emergency Services Steph Cooke has urged the community to work with authorities to stay safe.

"They are used to floods, there's no doubt about that but none-the-less every flood is different, and we've seen flood upon flood come through the Murrumbidgee over the past two months in particular," she said.

Meanwhile, the flooding crisis is expected to hit the supermarket shelves with Woolworths flagging an anticipated supply shortage of frozen foods and potato crisps.

Woolworths Group chief executive Brad Banducci warns back-to-back flooding had been a major problem.

“The big issue right now … is in frozen vegetables,” he told reporters on Thursday.

“In particular, corn and potatoes, with the very poor growing season that we’ve had in Tasmania," he said. “So that is causing some challenges in the frozen category and some risk of under supply in some stores."

“That has also flowed through … I don’t want to overplay anything at this stage, in potato crisps … (but) there are some supply issues on the way through there, so that’s the big one.

- Brad Banducci

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