THE State Emergency Service (SES) has had to rescue almost 30 people from floodwaters across the region in recent days.
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A long list of roads went under water across the Tamworth council area along with the Gunnedah, Narrabri and Liverpool Plains shires since heavy rain hit last Thursday.
SES spokesperson David Rankine said the rescue tally had climbed to 29 by Monday.
"We've had 29 flood rescues across the Western Zone," he told the Leader.
He said SES volunteers have been deployed to several rescues in Tamworth, Wee Waa, Manilla, around the Tambar Springs area, as well as Gunnedah in the past four days.
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He said the majority of rescues were people "driving around roads closed signs" and openly ignoring no-go zone warnings, and said some had been caught by rapidly rising creeks and flash flooding.
"These rescues are quite complex and a lot of safety issues surround them because you have volunteers entering the same floodwaters that people require rescuing from," Mr Rankine said.
"It takes resources away from communities who require sandbagging, storm damage and flood assistance.
"It takes those volunteers away for activities that are entirely preventable."
Mr Rankine said SES volunteers - including out-of-area crews who have been deployed to the local flood zones - were getting fed up with the long list of call outs for rescues from flooded roads.
"It's really disappointing," he said.
Mr Rankine said crews were already preparing for minor to major flooding again across the region this weekend, if Bureau of Meteorology predictions for rain eventuate.
He's urged motorists not to risk their lives, and those of the rescuers.
"You can certainly not drive through floodwater," he said.
"Turn around, don't drown."
Oxley police warned drivers to turn around if the road had water over it, and warned "experienced drivers are vulnerable" when it comes to flooded roads.
"Previously in dangerous weather conditions, some members of the community have chosen to ignore the warnings and therefore placed themselves, emergency workers and other community members at risk," a spokesperson said.
"Police are urging motorists not to be complacent in flooded areas and if it is flooded, forget it."
Oxley police had been deployed to several rescues with the SES in recent days across the flood zones.
"Don't get carried away with the reasons or pressures to attempt to drive through floodwater," the police spokesperson said.
"No reason is good enough to drive through floodwater.
"The bravest and smartest thing you can do is back it up."
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