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There have been distressing scenes as Queensland and New South Wales are ravaged by catastrophic floods, with hundreds of rescues amid life-threatening situations.

Lives have been lost, tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes and many thousands of homes and buildings have been severely damaged.

Here is how Australians watching the crisis unfold can contribute to the mammoth recovery effort that lies ahead, whether that be through donating money, items or labour.

LIVE UPDATES: Roads crumbling as floods cause structural damage

How can I help?

The Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul Society have set up appeals to gather donations to go towards flood recovery efforts in New South Wales and Queensland.

St Vincent de Paul Society, more commonly known as Vinnies, has established two separate appeals for recovery efforts in each state.

Donations to Vinnies' NSW Flood Appeal can be made here.

Donations to Vinnies' Queensland Flood Appeal can be made here.

https://twitter.com/VinniesNSW/status/1498466523480231936?s=20&t=jcveYLWotiXOmkYv3WnJZw

The Salvation Army is taking donations for both states here, with the funds to be distributed to where they are most needed.

The organisation is hoping to raise $9 million for the cause and has vowed to donate a further $1 million itself.

The Salvation Army's Major Bruce Harmer has called on Australians to show the spirit of generosity that has been seen during past disasters across the country.

"We are calling again on the Australians to help us be there for the incredible number of people displaced by the floods. Please, if you are able, give to The Salvation Army's 2022 Flood Appeal," he has said.

Shoppers at Myer stores around the country can also donate to The Salvation Army's flood appeal at the checkout, as can customers at Woolworths stores in NSW and QLD from tomorrow.

What items are needed?

The organisation GIVIT has made a list of more than 68,000 items needed in the recovery efforts, with options for donors to send the items or pay for them to be purchased.

The organisation is strongly advising people not to send unrequested donations to impacted areas, noting that unrequested donations hinder recovery efforts by overwhelming charities.

Needed items include new pillows, sleeping bags, livestock feed, washing machines and a range of different vouchers.

See the list of items and donate here.

Locals in flood-affected areas have been generously donating items to relief centres that have popped up in towns.

Workers at some relief centres have also advised that they are receiving too many donations of things they do not need.

A volunteer at a Lismore relief centre has advised too many clothes are being handed in, whereas phone chargers, toiletries and blow up mattresses are in demand.

Physical help if you are in Queensland

Queenslanders are calling for a revival of the "Mud Army" of volunteers that helped clean up following the 2011 floods.

Brisbane City Council and Volunteering Queensland are calling for volunteers to sign up for the Mud Army 2.0 to help clean up Brisbane.

People can sign up to join the army or register to alert the army of where help is needed here.

There are currently only plans to establish a Mud Army in Brisbane, but Volunteering Queensland has urged people from other regions who want to volunteer to standby for further updates about volunteering groups.

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Vincent Marychurch from Lismore has rescued more than 50 people in the region from floodwaters.

"I've grown up in Lismore and floods are not a new thing around here. Everyone knows that," he told 9News.

However this freak weather event in northern NSW has surpassed the floods of 1974 and "wiped all the floods off the map", Mr Marychurch said.

LIVE UPDATES: Rooftop rescues as rivers rise, Major emergency grips Queensland and parts of NSW

"I was at home trying to pack my own stuff up. I got to the point where I went, hang on a minute, this is real, this is now, a life-or-death situation. I had my boat ready to get myself out and that was my plan.

"But as I got the boat out the front four in the morning, about 4:30 just on daylight, I could see a torch across the road.

"There was an old bloke standing on a chair up to his chest in water. He was the first one. I took him to a higher house.

READ MORE: Australia could face catastrophic floods 'several times a year', UN warns

"And then it went from there just kept taking them from low houses to higher houses. And then I realise all these houses even the higher ones I'm taking them to are going to go under," Mr Marychurch said.

He said the highest building in south Lismore is the school, the door of which was fortuitously unlocked.

Mr Marychurch said he was getting calls for help from all over town and he and his father-in-law pulled a man out from the gutter.

READ MORE: Queensland man charged after allegedly looting flood impacted homes

"We couldn't see him. We could just hear him screaming for help.

"And then lady on breathing apparatus, one on dialysis, an amputee, 85-year-old bloke who was up to his neck, had to smash a window to get him out.

"We could only do what we could do. We managed to move close to 30 people in that little boat to that school," Mr Marychurch said.

He added that there were no other boats in the area.

"There's people screaming, blood-curdling screams, get me, my wife, kids, I had to pick and choose which ones were dying first. And we were the only boat there."

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Australia's official cash rate remains on hold at the record-low level of 0.1 per cent.

Economists of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) met this afternoon to chart Australia's course through a number of looming economic headwinds, including rising inflation and flat wages growth.

Despite predictions from the big four banks that the RBA would hike rates earlier than expected, Governor Philip Lowe said conditions were not quite ready to force the central bank's hand.

LIVE UPDATES: Missile strikes residential building near Ukraine's capital

"The Board will not increase the cash rate until actual inflation is sustainably within the 2 to 3 per cent target range. While inflation has picked up, it is too early to conclude that it is sustainably within the target range," Mr Lowe said.

"There are uncertainties about how persistent the pick-up in inflation will be given recent developments in global energy markets and ongoing supply-side problems."

While the RBA held its hand this afternoon, other market forces appear to already be impacting Australian property prices.

New CoreLogic data revealed that in February 2022 Sydney property prices fell by 0.1 per cent – marking the first decline in values in 17 months.

Melbourne's dwelling values remained flat at 0.0 per cent while all other capital cities recorded only meagre monthly growth.

LIVE UPDATES: Major flood emergency in Queensland, NSW

Shane Oliver, Chief Economist at AMP, said Australians should not expect the RBA to raise the cash rate until the latter half of 2022.

"The RBA's conditions for raising rates are likely to be in place by the September quarter," Mr Oliver said.

"Unemployment is likely to have fallen below four per cent by mid-year equating to 'full employment'; wages growth is accelerating and is likely to be running at an annual pace of three per cent or more by mid-year; underlying inflation is likely to continue running above the midpoint of the two-three per cent target range.

"Our base case is for the first hike to be in August but there is a very high risk it will come in June if wages growth picks up as we expect, underlying inflation continues to surprise on the upside and unemployment continues to fall."

Australia is sending $70 million worth of military hardware, including missiles and weaponry, to Ukraine to help fight the invading Russian army, a move which could trigger repercussions from the Kremlin.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison refused to disclose the specifics of the weapons because "I don't plan to give the Russian government a heads up about what is coming their way".

"We are talking missiles, ammunition, we are talking supporting them in their defence of their own homeland in Ukraine," Mr Morrison said.

LIVE UPDATES: Missile strikes residential building near Ukraine's capital

READ MORE: The Stinger missile worked against the Russians in Afghanistan in the 1980s, but will it in Ukraine?

Mr Morrison also did not detail how and from where the weapons would be sent into Ukraine.

"I won't give Mr Putin a heads up on how it gets there, but I can assure them it is coming your way," he said.

Australia will commit the military hardware in partnership with NATO, who will order weapons most suitable for the fight against Russian troops.

"Our goal is to impose the most significant costs on Russia that we possibly can," Mr Morrison said, while claiming the Russian invasion of Ukraine was now lagging "behind schedule".

However Mr Morrison warned the slower than anticipated Russian advance could bring about grave consequences inside Ukraine.

"This is likely to lead to an even more violent response from Russia," he said.

"Anyone who thinks the Russian government is just going to sit there, I think doesn't understand the intent and the outrageous objectives of President Putin."

Mr Morrison said Australia "cannot be absent" when it comes to standing up for the principles of liberal democracy in today's world, even if it meant becoming a target.

There had so far been no Russian-sponsored cyber attacks on Australian targets, Mr Morrison said, but he warned offensives could be launched at any time.

READ MORE: PM warns Australians to not go fight Russia in Ukraine

LIVE UPDATES: Major flood emergency in Queensland, NSW

Defence Minister Peter Dutton said it was important to "stare down" Russia's act of aggression.

"The situation in Ukraine today, there are grave concerns in Europe that they don't know what is next," he said.

"There is great uncertainty here in Indo-Pacific as well, and that is why it is incredibly important for countries to stand up for the rule of law, for democracy (and) human rights.

He said Australia has "long been a target" of state-sponsored cyber attacks out of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

Mr Morrison again warned Australians to not travel to Ukraine to fight the Russian army.