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A Victorian man has died from encephalitis as Australians are warned to take the risk posed by the condition seriously.

The state Department of Health said the man, aged in his 60s from northern Victoria, died on February 28 and an autopsy revealed the cause of death as Japanese encephalitis.

It is investigating how he contracted the virus.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time," a department spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.

"We strongly advise people take steps to limit their exposure to mosquitoes and avoid mosquito habitats such as stagnant water."

There have been seven confirmed cases of Japanese encephalitis in Victorian residents, including the man who died.

The Encephalitis Society, an international peak body for the disease, is calling for greater recognition and awareness of JEV in Australia.

"Encephalitis is a code-red condition that remains under-recognised," chief executive Ava Easton said.

"As Australia faces ongoing extreme weather conditions we are urging all Australians to equip themselves with knowledge about this very real disease and to not dismiss it as a low-risk probability or something too rare to talk about."

Dr Easton warned, given recent floods in Queensland and NSW, mosquito-borne viruses responsible for causing encephalitis "will be proliferating".

It comes as the federal health department is investigating dozens of suspected JEV cases, with at least nine confirmed infections nationally.

NSW Health on Monday said two people from the Victorian border with confirmed JEV were being treated in hospital.

"Several more people in NSW are undergoing further testing, and more cases are expected to be confirmed over the coming days and weeks," NSW Health said in a statement.

One Queenslander has also been confirmed to have the disease.

Four South Australians are "strongly suspected" to have JEV, all of whom have required admission to hospital, SA Health said in a statement.

In recent weeks, JEV has spread to dozens of piggeries across Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the disease was in 42 piggeries across the country.

"It's been pretty constant for the last week, but we are monitoring," he told ABC Radio National on Monday.

Last week, Australia's chief medical officer declared JEV as a nationally significant communicable disease incident, triggering extra resources for states and territories.

JEV spreads to humans through mosquito bites and cannot be transmitted from person-to-person, nor by eating pork products.

It has been more than 20 years since JEV was detected in humans. The last outbreak was in Australia's tropical north in 1995.

In most cases, human infection with JEV is asymptomatic, but about one per cent of infections can progress to serious disease including brain inflammation.

Two vaccinations are available for protection against JEV in Australia, with older people and those aged under five at a higher risk of developing a serious illness.

Anyone working or camping in regional parts of Australia with high mosquito activity is warned to use repellent and cover up with loose-fitting clothing.

© AAP 2022

Clean-up and recovery efforts in northern NSW are being boosted with the arrival of about 1300 soldiers as the premier says helping devastated communities get back on their feet is his top priority.

The state government would do everything it could to help flood-ravaged communities in the Northern Rivers and on the east coast, Premier Dominic Perrottet said on Tuesday, after spending days visiting affected areas.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon has been appointed as northern NSW recovery co-ordinator and will work alongside Resilience NSW Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons.

The premier says progress has been made in disaster responses but promises to review how emergencies are dealt with once the clean-up is completed as "there's always things that governments can do better".

About 1300 members of the ADF are expected to be on the ground in the Northern Rivers by the end of Tuesday, joining some 1600 emergency services personnel.

Housing remains a major task, with 887 people in temporary accommodation. The premier promised an announcement soon.

"We are completely focused on the clean up, housing and providing financial support," Mr Perrottet said.

He acknowledged people felt let down by emergency services overwhelmed by the scope of the crisis, leaving many to be rescued by fellow citizens, while others were left homeless and isolated without food, water, cash, fuel and communications.

But he defended the reliance on volunteers to respond to natural disasters as a "wonderful system ... based on that great spirit of service and volunteerism".

A state of emergency has not been declared in NSW and the premier says the advice he has received suggests it is not yet necessary, with commonwealth and state agencies working together to co-ordinate the response.

Deputy Premier Paul Toole repeated calls for more on-the-ground assistance from the Australian Defence Force.

"We want to see more support, more ADF, more sets of hands on the ground supporting these communities that need it right now," he said.

Emma Scott, who lives at Tyalgum, near Murwillumbah, is one of many critical of slow government efforts to provide food and supplies to her village that was cut off after landslides.

"A week is too long to wait for support when your house is inundated with flood water, your animals are at risk, and you have no water, power, food, fuel or internet," she tweeted.

Mr Perrottet returned to Sydney for a crisis cabinet meeting on Tuesday to expedite the clean-up and get people into emergency accommodation but will return to the north of the state until Friday.

A fifth recovery centre will open in Casino by Wednesday, with centres already established in Mullumbimby, Murwillumbah, Kyogle and Lismore.

Mr Toole said the centres would help people who had lost everything, including identifying documents.

They will house numerous government agencies and staff providing support to flood victims.

"They will be a one-stop-shop and they are going to be continually rolled out ... to ensure that these communities have got all the support that they need," Mr Toole said.

Meanwhile, St Vincent de Paul is offering grants of up to $3000 to flood-affected Northern Rivers residents as well as opening a flood-assistance centre in Lismore, Casino and Ballina.

© AAP 2022

The flood crisis gripping NSW has now claimed eight lives after two bodies were found in floodwaters in western Sydney, as the coast is battered by unrelenting torrential rain with tens of thousands of people under evacuation orders.

Premier Dominic Perrottet says 40,000 people around NSW are under 59 evacuation orders, including orders in close to 40 suburbs around Greater Sydney.

There are multiple flood warnings for vast swathes of NSW and many roads, bridges and schools are closed.

About 2000 people in low lying areas near Manly Dam in Sydney's north will likely be told to evacuate on Tuesday afternoon.

NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York said the dam is spilling, but not at risk of failing.

Northern Beaches Council Mayor Michael Regan told ABC News relocation centres had been set up in anticipation at the former Seaforth TAFE and Freshwater surf club.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned dangerous thunderstorms were likely to hit in Sydney's north on Tuesday afternoon and could cause further flash flooding.

More than 128mm of rain fell at Mosman in the six hours to 12.30pm and 93mm of rain hit Mona Vale over three hours on Tuesday afternoon.

Police have called the deaths of two people killed in western Sydney a "tragic reminder" for people to keep off the roads as NSW suffers through dangerous weather.

Detective Superintendent Paul Devaney said the Wentworthville canal where the mother and son were found on Tuesday "rose this morning from ankle deep to above neck height in a matter of minutes".

The victims are believed to be 67-year-old Hemalathasolhyr Satchithananthamand and her 34-year-old-son Bramooth who had been missing in the area after their car was found in the stormwater canal on Monday.

Efforts to recover the bodies were hampered by the weather in an operation that involved police divers, the rescue squad, assistance from the State Emergency Service and PolAir.

The first person was found about 1.4 kilometres from the car, and the second was found about 900 metres away.

The SES received more than 2500 calls for help in 24 hours and undertook about 200 flood rescues, mostly in Sydney.

The city has endured 16 consecutive days of rain and no reprieve from the deluge is expected until Wednesday, with no sign of sun until Thursday.

Wind gusts of up to 90 km/h are forecast, stretching south to the Illawarra region into Wednesday, and there's a risk the winds could topple trees and down powerlines.

The Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment in Sydney's west is experiencing floods as bad as or worse than those seen in March last year, the bureau's Dean Narramore said on Tuesday afternoon.

The severity will depend on how much more rain falls in the next 12 hours.

He advised residents stay inside and up to date with flood warnings and evacuation orders.

Footage shared to social media as rain lashed Sydney on Tuesday has shown water pooling in the Harbour Tunnel, parts of the shopping centre roof collapsing at Bondi Westfield, and cars trapped as heavy rain flooded parts of the Roseville Bridge.

More than 30,000 insurance claims have been filed around NSW, the Insurance Council of Australia said, with the expected cost of the floods in Queensland and NSW now approaching $1.5 billion.

Some could be waiting weeks to have their claims assessed.

Sydney Trains is expecting significant delays and cancellations on most services due to the severe weather.

Drivers are also being asked to stay off the road unless necessary, with the sustained wet weather opening potholes and causing flash flooding.

The Illawarra Highway was closed on Tuesday between Moss Vale and Robertson in the Southern Highlands after a sinkhole formed under the road at Burrawang, NSW Police said.

NSW LiveTraffic tracker shows close to 400 warnings for flood affected roads.

© AAP 2022