Already flooded parts of NSW face the prospect of further heavy rain that could cause more flooding as the clean up continues around the state.
The Bureau of Meteorology warns areas stretching from the Hunter to the Central Tablelands and down the South Coast are in for more rain on Sunday, with thunderstorms and intense rainfall a possibility.
Western Sydney is also in line for heavy rain, with moderate to major flooding possibly returning in the Hawkesbury-Nepean valley.
The BOM has observed renewed rises and flooding along the Upper Nepean, Nepean, Hawkesbury and Colo Rivers and warns that flooding there may reach levels similar to the past week.
Some areas could receive up to 120mm of rain in six hours and dangerous flash flooding could follow.
Six deaths have been confirmed in NSW, four of them in Lismore, from flooding that began over a week ago.
State and federal leaders have promised more help and financial aid as some affected areas begin the long clean-up, while others remain underwater.
In Coraki, on the Richmond and Wilson Rivers south of Lismore in the Northern Rivers, the local police station was one of many buildings inundated as the town was flooded and cut off from surrounding areas.
As waters recede, the damage is now being assessed.
NSW Police Coraki Sergeant Dean Childs says the town had little chance to prepare for the floods.
"It happened that quick and no one expected it to be that high," Sgt Childs said.
With only a small number of emergency service personnel in Coraki, community members had to step in too.
"To have a flood this size and have the SES in such a small town, it's a smaller SES so we only have a certain number of boats, so we've got all these local people jumping in their own vessels to try and rescue people as well," Sgt Childs said.
While the community response to the disaster has drawn much praise from the state's politicians, there has also been criticism of the government's response and level of preparedness that required communities to rescue and look after one another.
Opposition emergency services spokesman Jihad Dib said on Sunday flood-hit communities are exhausted and people are now "at absolute breaking point".
"The local communities and people from outside of those local communities are doing all that they can, but they can't carry the full load by themselves," he said.
He says the state needs an overarching co-ordinator "to ensure that everything is managed in a very succinct and a proper way that places the community at the centre" and delivers the support and funding that has been announced.
Emergency Services and Resilience Minister Steph Cooke was named Flood Recovery Minister on Friday.
Premier Dominic Perrottet on Saturday pledged his government would not "spare a dollar" in funding the recovery.
"After everything we've gone through as a state over the last few years I know we will get through this, as challenging as it seems," the premier said.
Insurance claims had hit about $1.25 billion by the end of Friday, with the lion's share - $1 billion - being submitted from Queensland, industry body, the Insurance Council of Australia said.
Meanwhile, the federal government extended the number of local government areas able to access one-off disaster relief cash payments of up to $1000 for adults.
"We continue to closely monitor the flood emergency and our hearts go out to those people whose lives are being devastated," federal Emergency Minister Bridget McKenzie said.
Australian Associated Press
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