An independent review of the NSW government's response to the state's flood crisis will determine what mistakes were made and what can be improved, the emergency services minister says.
"I think we can always do better next time," Step Cooke told Sydney radio 2GB on Monday.
There are now 8000 Australian Defence Force personnel ensuring supplies reach isolated communities, as well as helping with the massive clean-up operation.
However, there has been criticism of how long it took to deploy troops to help and questions are being asked about who is to blame.
There are reports the State Emergency Service rejected ADF offers to help in the days before the flooding.
SES commissioner Carlene York has also faced questions about why civilian rescue helicopters remained on the ground while floodwaters inundated the Northern Rivers.
Ms Cooke says all aspects of the emergency services response will be examined.
"If there are ways that we need to do things differently in the future to ensure that our communities have the maximum amount of notice to prepare and our response is timely and is where it is needed, when it is needed, then that is something that will benefit communities right across NSW."
Ms York says worse than forecast weather explained why civilian helicopters were not called to help.
The SES relied on the Bureau of Meteorology forecast when allocating resources, with only minor to moderate flooding expected in the region.
"We resourced appropriately on those levels," Ms York said.
Instead towns were hit with record floods, including in Lismore where waters were two metres above any previous event.
Helicopters were meanwhile deployed to areas like Cooma, near the Snowy Mountains, to be on standby for floods that never arrived.
Ms York said the worst of the floods in the Northern Rivers had hit at night when rescue crews were restricted.
Meanwhile, the SES has determined 3396 homes are uninhabitable and 6708 were inundated as 120 motor homes are sent to the Northern Rivers to deal with a the drastic shortage of accommodation.
Flood recovery co-ordinator Deputy Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon says it's "devastating and heartbreaking to see what people have lost" in Lismore.
Accommodating people was the primary task, with 134 people still in the last evacuation centre and 1100 people in emergency accommodation.
"It is about working with communities, to look at options and accommodate in the mid-term whilst we work through a long term solution," Mr Lanyon told ABC TV.
The state government has set up 10 recovery centres to provide access to services while $25 million will be spent on mental health support.
The latest two recovery centres will open to flood-affected communities on the Central Coast at Spencer and The Entrance to help communities transition from response into clean-up and recovery.
Moderate flooding has been recorded at Tuggerah Lake while the Windsor Bridge has reopened as the flood level at the Hawkesbury River recedes to minor levels, with the hope people can return to their homes later this week.