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Friends of Shane Warne, who tried to revive the cricket legend, say he was sober and alone when he suffered a suspected fatal heart attack in a luxury Thailand resort.

Australian Foreign Affairs officials will soon arrive on the island of Koh Samui to offer support before an autopsy on the 52-year-old, who died early Saturday, Australian time.

Warne was staying at the five-star Samujana Villas resort with four friends when he was found unresponsive in a bedroom.

One friend, his business manager Andrew Neophitou, performed CPR for about 20 minutes in an unsuccessful attempt to revive the father-of-three.

An ambulance was called but medicos also couldn't revive Warne before he was taken to a Thai hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Thai Police said there are no suspicious circumstances.

"No foul play was suspected at the scene based on our investigation," Thai police said in a statement.

Warne's manager James Erskine said the famous cricketer was alone and sober, watching cricket, when he suffered the suspected heart attack.

Warne, who never took drugs, was just days into a planned three-month holiday from work, Erskine said.

"This was just the start of it and they'd only arrived the day or night before," Erskine told Fox Cricket.

Australian Foreign Affairs staffers have spoken to Warne's friends before repatriating the body of the sporting star, whose family has been offered a state funeral by the Victorian government.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the southern stand at the MCG will be renamed the S.K. Warne Stand.

Warne's cricketing fame transcended his sport, with tributes coming from music and Hollywood stars, and prime ministers and politicians from Australia, England and India.

Australia's team had just finished the opening day of play in the first Test in Pakistan when learning of Warne's death.

"We loved so much about Warnie," Test captain Pat Cummins said.

"His showmanship, his charisma, his tactics ... the game of cricket was never the same after Shane emerged and it will never be the same now he has gone."

Warne, named as one of the five cricketers of the 20th century by the sport's almanac Wisden, is Australia's leading Test wicket-taker with 708 scalps from his 145 Tests.

In all formats, the legspinner took 1001 international wickets, earning elevation to the International Cricket Council, Australian cricket and Australian sport halls of fame.

Esteemed foes-turned-friends and Australian teammates expressed their grief at the sudden passing of Warne, who was also renowned for his larger-than-life persona and off-field exploits.

"He lived more in his life than most people would live in 20," Australia's retired fast bowler Glenn McGrath said on social media.

Ex-Australian captain Mark Taylor said Warne "had a turbulent life but a very full life ... you just felt, I certainly did, he would go on forever."

India legend Sachin Tendulkar was among those to post tributes on social media, saying he was "shocked, stunned & miserable".

Sir Vivian Richards said he was "shocked to the core" and his fellow West Indian Brian Lara said: "We have lost one of the greatest sportsmen of all time!"

Celebrities who befriended Warne also told of their grief.

"I'm so saddened ... he brought such joy to the game and was the greatest spin bowler ever," Mick Jagger said.

Elton John said he was heartbroken, posting: "Shane was a magical bowler and such huge fun," while pop star Ed Sheeran wrote he was "absolutely gutted" at Warne's passing.

Australia's Oscar-winning actor/director Russell Crowe and Hollywood star Hugh Jackman were among others to laud Warne as a cricketer and a mate.

© AAP 2022

Premier Dominic Perrottet will visit the devastated northern city of Lismore, with six people dead as a result of the NSW floods disaster and insurance payouts expected to soar into the hundreds of millions.

The cost in NSW alone is now more than $240 million, according to the Insurance Council of Australia, while estimates taking in Queensland claims as well peaked over $1 billion on Friday.

The ICA said it had received 67,537 flood-related claims, 24 per cent from the southern state and 76 per cent from southeast Queensland.

NSW's most recent fatality was that of a man believed to be in his 40s whose body was found near Terragon, south of Murwillumbah, on Friday afternoon.

The federal government has meanwhile extended one-off relief payments to another 28 local government areas, Emergency Minister Bridget McKenzie and Government Services Minister Linda Reynolds say.

The $1000 payments for adults and $400 for children are available in Bayside, Bega Valley, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Campbelltown, Canterbury Bankstown, Central Coast, Eurobodalla, Fairfield, Georges River, Hawkesbury, Inner West, Kiama, Kuring-Gai, Liverpool, Mid-Coast, Newcastle, Northern Beaches, Parramatta, Penrith, Ryde, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Sutherland, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Wollongong.

"We continue to closely monitor the flood emergency and our hearts go out to those people whose lives are being devastated," Senator McKenzie said in a statement.

"We have made financial help available now because we know the economic impact of disasters like these are felt long after the flood water recedes."

NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole says farmers will also be able to access $15,000 immediately through Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

Grants of up to $75,000 are available for primary producers in disaster-declared LAGs.

"We know it's going to be a long road to recovery for our farmers, however this funding means they'll have access to immediate support as well as in the crucial period of rebuilding ahead," he said.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter carried out five rescues on Friday, including in northern NSW, as the town of Coraki, south of Lismore, remains isolated by floodwaters.

Its crew also assisted people west of Mullumbimby after a landslide.

Concerns have been raised about the depth of the government's preparation, resourcing and response to the disastrous floods, with Mr Perrottet acknowledging on Friday mistakes were likely made.

Those will be identified when the government conducts its reviews and the premier pledged to "resource every level of government to a level that will provide protection to the people of our state".

Mr Perrottet also announced Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke will soon take on the role of flood recovery minister.

Just over 500 Rural Fire Service volunteers, Fire & Rescue NSW crews and 317 Australian Defence Force personnel have also been deployed to help the clean-up effort.

Further south, the SES warned moderate flooding was occurring on the Hawkesbury River on Saturday at Windsor and Sackville, where evacuation orders remain and there are fears of flooding at Wiseman's Ferry.

Continued rain on Sunday could trigger flood waters to rise from major to moderate levels, the SES warned.

In Penrith, flooding on the Nepean River has eased and levels are below the minor 3.88 metre mark, although the SES warned of possible renewed rises on Sunday.

Some Central Coast residents have been told to evacuate low-lying areas after heavy rain and "abnormally high tides" caused the Wyong River and Tuggerah Lake catchments to rise.

Others were evacuated from Croki on the mid north coast early Saturday morning due to a flood risk on the Manning River.

NSW will continue to be affected by severe thunderstorms and isolated heavy rain on the north coast until Sunday.

© AAP 2022

The NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said images and words cannot convey the catastrophic level of devastation wrought by floods in northern NSW, as he vowed not to "spare a dollar" in the recovery effort.

"The stories that we've heard up here, the images that we're seeing, do not do justice to what we're seeing on the ground," the premier said from Lismore on Saturday.

"The strength and resilience of the people of Lismore, the strength and resilience of the people of the Northern Rivers, was on full display today.

"But after everything we've gone through as a state over the last few years I know we will get through this, as challenging as it seems."

Mr Perrottet said his government was "not going to spare a dollar" when it came to flood recovery

The death toll from floods in NSW now stands at six, with the most recent fatality a man believed to be in his 40s whose body was found near Terragon, south of Murwillumbah, on Friday afternoon.

The premier said housing and homelessness would be a significant challenge in northern NSW through the recovery effort.

"People are hurting across the state, people are hurting in this particular area," Deputy Premier Paul Toole said.

"This is a catastrophic event and we know that they need help right now.

"This is going to be a long journey but the NSW government will stand side-by-side with these communities."

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience Steph Cooke became emotional addressing criticism of State Emergency Service workers, calling it "unwarranted".

"I know the SES has come under a bit of heavy fire in the last few days," Ms Cooke said.

"You guys have done an incredible job particularly up here in the Northern Rivers."

She said SES volunteers worked up to 20 hours a day carrying out rescues and helping people to safety.

The minister said the SES had her full support and the support of the NSW government.

In the Northern Rivers, some locals claimed on social media people in regional areas had been poorly serviced by the SES.

Ms Cooke, who will soon take on the role of flood recovery minister, said NSW had asked the federal government for 5000 Australian Defence Force personnel to help with the clean up.

She said a group of 900 would arrive on Sunday.

"We're really hoping that that does ramp up closer to that 5000 mark really quickly, and we would really welcome that.

"When you see the task at hand in the streets of Lismore, we need every one of them."

The cost in NSW is now more than $240 million, according to the Insurance Council of Australia, while estimates taking in Queensland claims reached more than $1 billion on Friday.

The ICA said it had received 67,537 flood-related claims, 24 per cent from NSW and 76 per cent from southeast Queensland.

The federal government has meanwhile extended one-off relief payments to another 28 local government areas, Emergency Minister Bridget McKenzie and Government Services Minister Linda Reynolds said.

"We continue to closely monitor the flood emergency and our hearts go out to those people whose lives are being devastated," Senator McKenzie said in a statement.

"We have made financial help available now because we know the economic impact of disasters like these are felt long after the flood water recedes."

Mr Toole earlier announced farmers will be able to access $15,000 immediately through Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

Grants of up to $75,000 are available for primary producers in disaster-declared LGAs.

© AAP 2022