Annastacia Palaszczuk rejects Scott Morrison plan to include Qld in emergency declaration

Annastacia Palaszczuk has rejected a plan by the Prime Minister to include Queensland in the national emergency declaration, saying the time for that had already passed.

Southeast Queensland’s catastrophic floods will be declared a national emergency by the Prime Minister on Friday, despite the Premier rejecting the plan saying the time for it had passed.

It comes as Queensland’s flood clean-up surpassed $1bn in insurance claims according to estimates from the sector’s peak body.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, exercising the power for the first time, will declare the flooding catastrophes in Queensland and New South Wales a “national emergency” — a move that would cut some bureaucratic red tape

In order to approach the governor-general to make the declaration, the Prime Minister needed to consult with the Premiers of both states.

While New South Wales’ Dominic Perrottet was welcoming, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk the plan to include Queensland in the national emergency declaration, saying the time for that had already passed.

Mr Morrison, later that afternoon and following a phone call with the Premier, confirmed Queensland would be included in the declaration anyway.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaking from a flood-affected farming business in the Lockyer Valley on Thursday.

He said he would meet with the Governor-General on Friday and would be “advancing those issues having undertaken the necessary consultation”.

Ms Palaszczuk said the Prime Minister had been “very good” in offering Defence assistance where needed.

“So the time for that national emergency was probably a week ago, so we’ve actually gone past that,” she said.

The Premier said because Queensland experienced many natural disasters, authorities were prepared to respond quickly to last week’s devastating floods.

“We’ve actually used our own state specific disaster declarations and they’ve provided us with all the necessary powers that we need, especially when it means like whether it’s closing roads or closing schools or relocating people,” she said.

“So those declarations were made for Gympie on the 26th of February, Brisbane on the 27th of February, and Maryborough on the 27th of February and I understand that they expire on Sunday.”

Meanwhile, the Insurance Council of Australia, in figures released on Thursday, revealed 73,823 claims totalling an estimated $1.1bn had been lodged.

And as the disaster stretches all the way into Sydney, insurers have warned the global shortage in materials and local labour constraints will blow out rebuild and recovery times.

The latest federal government figures show $170m has gone into the pockets of 146,000 flood-impacted Queenslanders since disaster payments were activated on February 28.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Brisbane’s Gallipoli Barracks. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

The Prime Minister’s power to declare a national emergency was borne out of the 2019-2020 bushfire crisis.

The Royal Commission into the summer bushfire response found that while states and territories are primarily responsible for responding to and recovery from natural disasters, the disaster outlook was “alarming”.

“States and territories alone may not be able to respond effectively to, or provide immediate relief or recovery from, extreme to catastrophic disasters,” the report stated.

“To better assist states and territories in responding to and recovering from such disasters, the Australian Government should create a legislative mechanism for the making of a declaration of a state of national emergency.

“A declaration would signal to communities the severity of a disaster early, act as a marshalling call for the early provision of Australian Government assistance when requested, facilitate co-ordination with state and territory emergency management frameworks, and, in very limited circumstances, allow the Australian Government to act without a request from a state or territory.”

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said Queenslanders just wanted to know that governments would support them.

“Whatever the mechanism that makes that occur we’ll welcome that,” he said, when asked whether he agreed with the Premier.

“I just want every Queenslander who right now is mopping up, every Queenslander who is wondering how on earth they’re going to replace their property to know that governments work together.

“Whatever the vehicle, whatever the body, I don’t think the everyday person cares about that.

“They just want to know that there will be financial and structural support for them.”