Fifth death reported in NSW; ‘it’s climate change,’ Palaszczuk says as Qld death toll rises to 10 – as it happened

Body of man in 40s found south of Murwillumbah; death of man, 53, takes Queensland's flood toll to 10 as premier mourns unprecedented' disaster; Japanese encephalitis case in Qld; at least 37 Covid deaths; Alan Tudge opts not to return to frontbench. This blog is now closed

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Resilience NSW commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has told ABC radio that flooding across the state was worst than predicted:

Unprecedented levels [of flooding] experienced up in northern NSW, flood levels that came in well above what was forecasted ... And at the same time we've still got serious flooding concerns in Hawkesbury and Nepean ...

We've also formed up a significant taskforce, comprising of firefighters ... the Australian defence force. So working shoulder to shoulder with business owners, with property owners, homeowners ...