There’s growing doubt that Monday’s scheduled race meeting at Taree will proceed, with the track currently submerged due to record-breaking floods in the Manning River region.
The river has surpassed its previous peak from 1929, rising above 6 metres, and inundating the racetrack along with many parts of the surrounding area.
By Tuesday morning, Taree had received 307mm of rainfall, with 270mm of that falling in just 24 hours. An additional 132mm fell overnight, and more heavy rain is forecast through Wednesday and into the end of the week.
Weather models suggest up to 60mm could fall on Thursday, with a further 10mm likely on Friday, making any hope of the track drying out by Monday extremely slim. The forecast is not expected to improve until Saturday morning at the earliest.
The club had already lost a meeting last Monday, which was transferred to Port Macquarie by Racing NSW. They had been scheduled to host a seven-race program this coming Monday, but the outlook is increasingly grim.
The flooding has caused widespread disruptions in the Taree area, leaving thousands isolated and homes under threat.
“We’ve had reports from residents in those areas that water is starting to come into their homes,” State Emergency Service spokesman Andrew Edmunds told the ABC.
“We believe there are currently 52 people trapped by floodwater at Glenthorne and as soon as we are safely able to do so we will be getting into those people and helping them to safety.”