It not only puts the perpetrator at risk, but when things go pear-shaped, which can be more often than not in volatile flooding situations, it falls on volunteers to pick up the pieces. 

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall has joined the fight for the state government to issue fines to motorists who recklessly drive into floodwaters. 

The lives of emergency services workers, who volunteer their own time, should not be put at risk. 

The plan is to use the revenue generated by the fines to be returned to volunteer emergency services.

He has a point when he says people who enter flood waters after heavy rain put themselves in danger – and also put local RFS and SES volunteers in harm’s way.

Mr Marshall insists the community needs to do everything it can to support emergency services and that a fine would “make them think twice”.

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson believes when people make the choice to enter floodwaters, it should be the risk to human life that is the primary focus, not whether they can financially afford to take the risk.

He says the proposal raises many questions. How would fines be issued? How would we categorically determine what is and isn’t a floodwater? How could we prove something wasn’t an accident?

But, in the recent downpours, local SES crews responded to incidents where they towed out motorists attempting to drive through water-logged roadways.

They were just some of the 300 flood rescues across the state in June 2016, with about half of those involving cars stuck in floodwaters.

SES and RFS volunteers are dedicated locals who assist other locals in their hour of need.

Often they can be called away from their own lives and work to assist in emergencies.

It can be costly, time-consuming and dangerous. It’s clear we need to protect our emergency volunteers.

The deliberate actions of drivers also caused unease among the SES, who were “concerned with the high number of people who still do not heed warnings about the dangers of entering floodwater”.

The community is now being called to provide their feedback by contacting Mr Marshall’s office or emailing northerntablelands@parliament.nsw.gov.au.