DEBORAH KNIGHT: Now, we usually speak with the Minister for Energy, Angus Taylor, on Fridays for Question Time with Joel Fitzgibbon, but he is, right now in his capacity as the Member for Hume, in the area being hit hard by rain, right in the middle of this flood emergency. The evacuation orders are in place for a number of suburbs, including Picton and Camden, in Angus' neck of the woods, and he's on the line for us now. Angus, where are you? What's going on where you are? 

ANGUS TAYLOR: I'm in Camden, Deb, and it's been an extraordinary morning. I was in Picton yesterday and there were real fears of flooding there, but thankfully it's subsided. But in Camden overnight we saw a very, very fast rising Nepean River, which has flooded out the tributaries and surrounding areas. It was going up at about a metre an hour at one point. 

DEBORAH KNIGHT: It's hard to fathom. 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Yeah, extraordinary pace. No one expected it and it meant a number of organisations were caught unawares. We've got our local sports club - which is a real hub to the community, a sports club that is used for bowling and drinks and social events, and so on   it's gone under. It's at least a metre under and, you know, huge damage to it. Our Show Society, it's the biggest show outside of the Royal Easter Show in NSW, Deb. And its grounds have all gone under, but so too have some of its buildings. So, there are big losses there and we're still trying to assess the situation. So, it's been a pretty tough morning here. Thankfully, the water seems to have turned. It's going at least level or going down a fraction. 

DEBORAH KNIGHT: You have a drink of water there. Clear your throat. 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Sorry, I’ve got something caught in my throat.

DEBORAH KNIGHT: Yeah.

ANGUS TAYLOR: But, yeah, look, we've got a big band of rain coming through right now. We're hoping it's not going to hit us, but if it does, we'll be in for more. Meanwhile, there's a number of houses that have been evacuated around the area, a growing number that have been evacuated and have been warned that they may need to be ready, so we're all on the ready for what might happen this afternoon. 

DEBORAH KNIGHT: Yeah, and we know that the continuation of the rain pummelling down is impacting so many parts of Sydney. The Corso at Manly Wharf has totally flooded right now   that's just come through. So, it's on the coastal areas as well because there are massive seas and real fears about coastal erosion. And we're gonna see the southerly come through with wind gusts of over 100 k's an hour. So, that's gonna cause more problems with trees coming down and power outages. In terms of the greatest concern, I mean, you've been helping with the sandbagging and helping with the locals   where have those who have been evacuated gone to? 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, we've now got an evacuation centre at Narellan, just near Camden, just north of Camden, so that's good news   in Queen Street, Narellan. So, it's great to see that that's been set up. The caravan park was the first one to go under and people have lost their houses and cabins and caravans there, which is sad and, you know, we're dealing with that. But we do have an evacuation centre now, which is good news. 20 Queen Street, for anyone looking to get there, somewhere where they can base themselves as we deal with the circumstances. 

DEBORAH KNIGHT: And do you share the frustrations that we're hearing from so many locals, so many businesses, in the really devastated parts of Northern Rivers of NSW? They're saying that basically the help isn't getting to where it's needed. They've been giving the Premier an absolute earful, and he's now apologised, saying that he doesn't want anyone to feel abandoned, which is what they do feel. But a lot of people, it's the locals, it's volunteers who have been stepping in. And we know that's the Aussie spirit, we know that we always step in to help, but surely we need better than this, rather than having locals having to fundraise through GoFundMe pages to source helicopters to come in to get people off rooftops?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Yeah, look, Deb, I can only speak to what I'm seeing on the ground here in Camden and Wollondilly, which, as I say, has been hard hit. But I've seen incredible work being done by the community. I mean, the sandbagging that was done last week in Picton was a phenomenal effort. Many people involved, both paid professionals and volunteers, and, I mean, that's the way we do it. It's a long standing Australian tradition. And I think that mix of community support and professional support is the way you do it. It's what we've been doing here. And I think it's been working well. We've got challenges and there’s people who are in really tough situations. And I, you know, talking to people in tears this morning, dealing with their losses. But the amazing work that's being done here by the SES, the local RFS get involved, other community organisations, volunteers, has been extraordinary, will continue to be, I have no doubt, because that's the great Aussie spirit. And I think combining the professionals with the volunteers and community support is the way we do it here. 

DEBORAH KNIGHT: Well, combining it in your neck of the woods is great, but in the Northern Rivers, it hasn't been a combination, it's been the locals who have been filling all the holes and getting the support out there. It seems as though there's been just a real deficit of   and I know that the logistics are hard, but we're only just seeing the Defence Force on the ground. There's more coming, but it's, you know, over a week since the flooding initially happened? 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, my understanding is the Defence Force has rescued 113 people, and they are on the ground and they are doing work. But, you know, I also don't think we should ever talk down the amazing work that is done. The first response is typically done in our community by community members, neighbours, and others supporting each other. I've lived in the bush for much of my life and that's how we do it, and we should be proud of that. Now, we do need professionals coming in, we do need - 

DEBORAH KNIGHT: But these are the same locals who have lost their own homes too, you know? 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, look, I can speak to my experience, Deb. We had terrible bushfires in the same area two years ago. 

DEBORAH KNIGHT: We did. 

ANGUS TAYLOR: A little over two years ago. And I saw the ADF do extraordinary clean up work. They were welcomed and they did an unbelievable job. It is the combination of volunteer work and professional work that is the key to this. I've seen it working very well in my electorate right now here today and certainly in the bushfires a couple of years ago. That's the way it should be done. I understand the ADF are on the ground in the Northern Rivers now, doing good work. I mean, look, I saw my local   a combination of volunteers and the local SES pulling a calf out from the deep waters here in Camden this morning, and it was done by a combination. And this is how we do it. It wasn't a person in that particular case, it was a calf.

DEBORAH KNIGHT: Yeah.

ANGUS TAYLOR: But, you know, that's the Australian spirit. And I think talking down the important role of community and volunteers is not right. And talking down the ADF   I mean, the ADF, I think, have done phenomenal work in what I've seen at emergencies, and I certainly have nothing but good things to say about them. 

DEBORAH KNIGHT: Well, I know that the community spirit is strong, and the work that we're seeing from you and from others in that area of Sydney is, you know, needs to be applauded. But, Angus, thanks for joining us. I'll let you get back to it. 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Thanks, Deb. 

DEBORAH KNIGHT: We'll talk to you on Friday. Angus Taylor, the Federal Energy Minister, who is in the electorate that covers the areas affected by this flood emergency, Picton and Camden. And, of course, those evacuation orders are in place for a number of those areas right now, amongst the dozen areas that have been evacuated. And, yeah, this flood emergency, we'll give you updates. I'll bring you an update shortly on the floods.