Last updated: December 29, 2014


National Breaking News

Couple won't leave flood threatened home

JOHN and Judith Pullinger have lived on the banks of the Clarence River in Grafton for more than 30 years and despite flood evacuation warnings, they have decided to stay put.

"I'm sitting looking at the flood," Mr Pullinger told AAP on Tuesday.

"It hasn't moved much since this morning - it's running about four inches below the levee and we've got an hour to go before it's supposed to peak."

The river was expected to peak around midday (AEDT) at 8.1 metres, the same height as the levee bank, leaving the northern NSW city bracing for its worst flood on record.

When the Pullingers built their new house last August they constructed the floors 300mm above the levee height. If the waters break the levee, they will still have a sizeable margin.

"This is the biggest flood I've seen, certainly up higher on the levee than others have been," Mr Pullinger said.

"Out in the middle, the Clarence is scooting by, hooting past, roaring, you can hear the noise of it, but once you're out of the middle, it's just sitting there, placid, so I hope it stays that way."

Mr Pullinger said he was keeping a watchful eye on the flood height.

"It's not us who will have a problem if the water comes over the levee, it's the people in town," he said.

"If it comes over the wall, we'll still have 18 inches clearance. Our house is above the levee but most aren't.

"If you walk out into the street it's just another Tuesday with people going about their business in the sunshine, but if you look out the other side the river's rising. The main thing is not to panic."