A resident drove his tractor through torrents of water to take it to higher ground as flooding hit parts of New South Wales.

Footage shows the local pulling the equipment to the back of his home, where the deluge had not reached yet in Taree, Australia, on May 21.

The water level continued to rise in the area beside Manning River, which authorities said surpassed a 1929 record, reaching more than 20ft (6m) today.

Steve Bernasconi, from the Bureau of Meteorology, said the area received 412mm of rainfall over two days, which was five times its monthly average.

More than 48,000 residents were affected, with more than 23,000 homes already isolated by the record flood.

Nearby areas have been asked to evacuate as rescue operations are underway.