Up on a hill overlooking the wounded city, at a tented army camp, Major Tom Neverauskas reflects on his deployment helping the people of Lismore and surrounds.
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"We initially went up to Coffs Harbour from Sydney. From there we pretty quickly went into Woodburn as the primary location where we stayed for about a week," he says.
Woodburn was the town downstream from Lismore where residents and their pets sought refuge overnight on the bridge until they were rescued by boat the following day.
"The scenes when we hit Woodburn were pretty grim. It was seven days after the floods had gone through and wiped out the majority of the town."
The troops under his command initially helped strip out houses and remove flood debris.
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On the day we speak, they are helping out in Lismore on a variety of tasks from unpacking food for the temporary CBD kitchen to loading shop fittings into trucks.
"It's been fantastic," says Major Neverauskas.
"I've said this to the majority of my superiors and peers but the last couple of weeks in Woodburn and Lismore have been the highlight of my army career and I've been in for 14 years."
The ADF deployment is winding down, the hard work ahead being handed off to the state and local authorities.
Lismore held its first Anzac Day march in two years, a commemoration not just of the fallen but of the troops who stood shoulder to shoulder with the city during its time of need.
Lismore's wounds will take years to heal, if they heal at all.
John Hanscombe
Four decades in the media, working in print and television. Formerly editor of the South Coast Register and Milton Ulladulla Times. Based on the South Coast of NSW.
Four decades in the media, working in print and television. Formerly editor of the South Coast Register and Milton Ulladulla Times. Based on the South Coast of NSW.
