Election 2022: Northern Rivers residents rage over flood failure

Voters were getting heated at pre-poll booths in Lismore with some residents suggesting a a major shift to fix flood insurance. See what they said.

Voters arrived at Southern Cross University for the second day of pre-polling for the federal election and the anger was palpable.

Local residents made their feelings heard pointing to a potential protest vote against the current government as a result of their handling of natural disasters.

The Nationals hold the seat by 9.5% after a massive swing in the 2019 poll but voters have said repeated mistakes including a sluggish response to the floods has burned their support for the Coalition.

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Northern Rivers native Ken and his wife Kerry have turned their backs on the government.

“The biggest issue for me is everyone is talking about doing something but no-one is doing anything about the flood,” Ken said.

Ken and Kerry’s daughter lives in Coraki, the small town that was devastated by flooding along the Richmond River.

He voted for a change of government because he feels they have talked the talk, but so far haven’t walked the walk.

“They talk about millions of dollars but nothing has happened, we need to bloody flood proof the region,” he said.

“Start doing something! Right now it’s all talk.

“Start bloody doing it”.

Ken was particularly disappointed the federal government had only committed to $75 million for the rest of the financial year from the Emergency Recovery Fund.

Kerry acknowledged that Kevin Hogan had done a lot for the people of Lismore and the electorate of Page.

Not everyone was so negative about the government however, with Fred and Deslie Cox turning up to support Kevin Hogan and vote to re-elect the Morrison government.

They sympathised with Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s triple whammy of bushfires, Covid-19 and floods and say Page MP, Kevin Hogan, deserved to be returned in the seat.

“On a scale of one to ten I would give the government an eight for how they’ve handled it all,” Fred said.

“That’s why I voted for them, if it were a hung parliament...I could emigrate to Ukraine”.

Deslie had a bright idea for the flood recovery to tackle the insurance crisis that has plagued Lismore families for the last few years and is set to get worse over the coming decade.

“I reckon the government should put a levy on insurance companies for floods like they do for fire,” she said.

“You know there are fire levies, they should put a charge on for a flood levy so everyone is covered by flood.

“You get your stamp duty and fire levy, put a flood levy on, I’m sure people wouldn’t mind an extra $10 or $15 so everyone is covered”.