A NSW businessman from the flood-affected town of Lismore has given the prime minister a piece of his mind, saying more needs to done to help the devastated community.
Steve Krieg says he is already "up to his eyeballs", and taking out a low-interest disaster loan, jointly-funded by the state and federal governments, is not a viable option.
He asked Malcolm Turnbull, who visited flood-ravaged communities in the state's north on Monday, how companies such as Ford and Holden can receive rescue packages but business owners in his town can't.
"If you come back in six months, you'll just about see 50 to 80 per cent of those (flood-affected) businesses still not open," Mr Krieg, who says he can't afford flood insurance in the flood-prone area, said.
"I'm facing the fact that if I don't open my (business) doors I'm going to have to sell my house to pay the rent.
"That doesn't seem just for a man who pays a huge amount of tax every year."
Mr Turnbull got on all fours and washed the floor in Mr Krieg's restaurant.
The PM told reporters "enormous support" was being offered to the town, after water rushed over its levee and the Wilsons River peaked at 11.6 metres on Friday.
Means-tested assistance for damaged homes and belongings would also be administered through state governments, he said.
"There is a full suite of supports for a region like this that is recovering," he told reporters.
"This is a strong city, it has seen floods before and it has recovered."
Mr Turnbull walked through Lismore's main street, being stopped by a woman seeking help for a local theatre company and meeting volunteers cooking sausages for helpers.
Much of the area was under several metres of water on Friday and Saturday, after ex-cyclone Debbie caused flooding in large parts of the state's north.
Mr Turnbull said attention would now turn to prevention, with consideration to be given to whether Lismore's levee should be made taller.
In Lismore alone, more than 500 SES volunteers in addition to another 500 personnel from other agencies are on hand to assist residents in the clean-up.
"Enormous solidarity from Australians," Mr Turnbull told reporters.
"We have seen nature flinging her worst at Australians, but it always brings out the best in Australians."
He then headed north to Murwillumbah, where towers of ruined possessions line the streets.
Two women have been confirmed killed by NSW floodwaters after last week's deluge.
It's still being determined how a 45-year-old man, whose body was found after flooding at a South Murwillumbah caravan park, died.
A 46-year-old man also died at his Murwillumbah home but it is understood he had not entered the floods.
