The town of Coonamble in Australia's most populous New South Wales state is preparing for its worst flood in more than 50 years, the ABC has said.

Downpours, which hit the area on Christmas Day, caused the overflowing of the nearby Castlereagh river. Floodwaters continue to rise, and a flood peak of around 5.5 meters (18 feet) is expected to be reached on Monday, ABC said.

Local authorities have ordered more than 1,200 residents of the town, located some 415 kilometers (258 miles) to the north-west of the state's capital, Sydney, to leave their properties and move to higher ground, however, many people reportedly refuse to evacuate their homes.

"Obviously there are some people that disagree with the order and have got their own views on what they should be doing and have decided to stay put," Coonamble Mayor Tim Horan was quoted as saying on the ABC website.

Some other locations in the area have also been put on high alert.

The latest major flood took place in New South Wales in May 2009. Some 20,000 people were evacuated from the area after downpours caused overflowing of several rivers.

MOSCOW, January 4 (RIA Novosti)