TERRANORA Creek became a hive of activity on Monday afternoon when four voluntary rescue units took part in the largest joint training exercise in the region.

SES, Kingscliff Coast Guard, NSW Rural Fire Service and Tweed District Rescue Squad were on the water training for a flood emergency.

About 60 personnel and six boats from the four voluntary rescue groups were involved in the exercise.

SES Tweed Heads unit controller Ian Carlson said the exercise was planned after the devastating Queensland floods in January.

"The floods in Queensland earlier in the year gave us a bit of a spark, and we have grown a few people and a few more flood boat skippers," Mr Carlson said.

"In this exercise the Kennedy Dr side on Terranora Creek is cut off and we are resupplying areas and transporting injured passengers between points in the creek.

"The two biggest floods into the Tweed have been January and February."

Mr Carlson said a lot of the people involved have not had this type of training and Tweed River can be dangerous in flood conditions.

"A lot of the people who are doing it tonight have not been members for probably more than a year," he said.

Kingscliff Coast Guard commander John Purnell said it was about how they got people from one island to another.

"It's as real life as we can get it," Mr Purnell said.

"We have worked with the flood but never with the SES as complete as we are today,"

Mr Purnell said every member involved in the exercise was training to the highest standards.