ADF explains delayed response to NSW flood crisis

The Australian Defence Force has explained what has taken so long for troops to get on the ground in flood-affected areas.

Brigadier Robert Lording told Today the ADF had issues getting officers to the more isolated locations impacted by floods in recent weeks and there was a need to ensure there were resources available for the number of troops being sent in.

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"The roads, the capacity to physically get people into some of these isolated communities, physically it wasn't possible until Friday and Saturday, just three or four days ago," Brigadier Lording said.

"It's an enormous logistics challenge to be able to get that kind of support to people on the ground when they need it.

"I understand, they're feeling the pain of having gone through what is a very traumatic situation."

Brigadier Lording said the ADF also had to ensure officers had the resources needed to sustain such an operation, without taking from the communities on the ground.

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"We need to have the conditions here on the ground to be able to sustain them and support them," he said.

"That was particularly important the first few days of the operation. We can't draw on the resources, the food, the petrol, the other supplies that are critical for the local communities, so we need to be able to step forward with logistics in place to help them."

Brigadier Lording said there are currently 1800 ADF officers on the ground in the NSW Northern Rivers and there will be 2500 there by the end of today.

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