Barnaby Joyce’s one-in-3500-year NSW flood comment called out on Sunrise

Appearing on Sunrise, Barnaby Joyce claimed the NSW floods were a one-in-3500-year event. Host, Natalie Barr didn’t mince her words in her reply.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and Sunrise host, Natalie Barr clashed on-air over his comments over the devastating floods that ravaged NSW’s Northern Rivers region.

Speaking about the government’s response and claims the community were not adequately supported during the natural disaster, Mr Joyce claimed ministers were unable to plan for the “one in 3500 year event”.

This comes as the federal government has been heavily criticised for failing to deliver ADF personnel, resources and food to NSW residents left reeling and displaced after the disaster.

“If there are problems we will find them and fix them,” he said.

“Speaking to Kevin Hogan (a Nationals Minister based in Lismore) just before this, this is a one-in-3500-year event for his area in Lismore,” said Mr Joyce.

“It is beyond something that is naturally able to be planned for. This is monumentous. This is diluvian.”

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Sunrise hosts, Natalie Barr and David Koch were not impressed with Barnaby Joyce’s comments. Picture: Sunrise

However, Ms Barr disagreed with Mr Joyce’s comments. She and co-host David Koch countered Mr Joyce’s comments with statistics from NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet and the mayor of Ballina shire council, Sharon Cadwallader who said the Northern Rivers floods range from being a one-in-1000-year to one-in-500-year event.

“Barnaby, this whole one in 100, one in 100 or one in 3000, sounds to most people to be BS,” she said.

Ms Barr and co-host David Koch said the government needed to enact better measures to prepare for flooding. This included quicker integration of Australian Defence Force members to help aid the recovery effect and systems to redirect funding to affected communities.

“I think we need to drop all that stuff, don’t we? It can happen so what are we doing about it?” said Mr Koch.

To date, the federal and NSW governments have released a joint $435 million package for flood-hit communities. This includes grants of up to $75,000 for primary producers and $50,000 for small businesses and not-for-profit organisations. A $120 million package has also been implemented for the clean-up effort. Small businesses and employees will also be able to access $1000 disaster relief payments and 13 weeks of income replacement.

Mr Joyce doubled down on his initial comments and said: “I will either listen to the member for Western Sydney or listen to the local member who lives there.”

“(The floods were) 2.1 metres above anything we’ve ever known about in the history of Australia. That’s not something I hope would happen every 10 years,” he said.

Barnaby Joyce claimed that the government was unable to prepare for the “one-in-3500-year” event. Picture: Emma Brasier

Visiting communities in the flood-affected town of Lismore on the weekend, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the government’s priority is now on providing access to care, support and essential supplies. Currently, five people have lost their lives in the floods, which also destroyed more than 2000 homes and businesses.

“We’re doing everything that we can. We’re getting supplies in. We’re getting food in,” he said.

“There are logistic difficulties with all of this but it is all hands on deck to get the clean up done, to get supplies in and that’s happening right now.”

Mr Perrottet has also asked the federal government for 5000 Australian Defence Force troops to assist with the clean up.

Thousands of homes were destroyed after record rains and flooding hit several towns in NSW’s Northern Rivers. Picture: Toby Zerna

“From Lismore to Ballina to smaller towns like Coraki and Woodburn which, we have just been able to get access to yesterday,” he continued.

“This is going to be a major operation to get our communities back on their feet and we’re going to put everything into it.”

Residents across NSW were warned that catchments and floodwaters in sodden areas could rise again on Monday and Tuesday. Offering no reprieve from heavy rains, severe weather warnings were issued for the Metropolitan and Greater Sydney, as well as the Mid North Coast, and Illawarra.