Northern NSW floods: Government accused of favouring National seats in distributing additional disaster payments

Backlash against the distribution of additional disaster payments has continued, with allegations that political motivations affected which LGAs were elligble.

The federal government has continued to face backlash over its distribution of extra disaster payments to Aussies affected by the devastating floods in northern NSW.

Declaring a national disaster on Tuesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison marked the local government areas (LGAs) of Richmond Valley, Lismore and Clarence Valley as catastrophe zone, meaning residents could access two additional weekly disaster payments. These were given at a rate of $1000 per adult and $400 per child.

However, despite being declared disaster zones, the nearby flood-hit LGAs of Ballina, Tweed and Byron were excluded from the scheme.

Political commentator Dr Jennifer Wilson claimed the division was politically driven.

“It’s clear that more generous financial relief in the Northern Rivers has been given to the electorate held by the Nationals’ Kevin Hogan,” she wrote on Twitter.

“(People) in other seriously affected areas held by Labor are getting considerably less money.”

While being some of the most-affected towns by the Northern NSW floods, Ballina, Byron and Tweed have not been given access to additional disaster payments. Photo: Danielle Smith

The three LGAs of Lismore, Richmond Valley and the Clarence Valley sit under the Page electorate, which is held by Nationals MP, Kevin Hogan, however, the areas of Tweed, Ballina and Byron Shire, which sit in the Labor-held seat of Richmond, represented by Justine Elliot.

Hey @ScottMorrisonMP - I call on you to please expand the extra flood allowance to Mullumbimby, Ballina and Murwillinbah areas. They are all in dire need and excluding them makes no sense at all! (Unless it’s politically motivated)#AusPol2022#Floods2022pic.twitter.com/nLHZvwcP8x

— Enraged Spock (@EnragedSock) March 9, 2022

So if you've been flooded, but you live in Tweed, Byron, Ballina or Queensland, you don't deserve an extra $2000 of flood relief payments, says Morrison.
He's not a national leader, just the #PMforSydney.
We need a real PM.#AlboForPM

— Michael Secomb (@secomb_michael) March 9, 2022

Look at this — the whole of the Northern Rivers has been flooded. Not just certain electorates. https://t.co/4kg0EMjnpt

— Lucy Turnbull AO💉💉💉 (@LucyTurnbull_AO) March 9, 2022

Ms Elliot said it was unclear whether the decision was politically motivated or due to “absolute incompetence”.

While she acknowledged that “pork-barrelling” – when government funds and projects are implemented to please voters or win votes – had occurred in the past, she said it would be “appalling” if it played a part in the allocation of additional disaster payments.

“It would be absolutely appalling if they are applying that to flood victims and people who’ve lost their homes and their livelihoods,” she said.

“Whether it’s their political actions or their incompetence or a combination of both – who knows – but whatever the reasoning is, they need to fix it.”

Although Ms Elliot was unaware if neighbouring MP Mr Hogan was consulted prior to Mr Morrison’s announcement of the additional payments, she said it was “insulting” she hadn’t.

“It adds insult to injury given what’s happened,” she said.

News.com.au contacted Mr Hogan’s office for comment.

JUST IN: Scott Morrison has announced that Ballina, Byron and Tweed Shire residents will NOT be able to access the federal government’s additional disaster payments.

This is an outrage and I am calling for this to be extended to ALL of us.#auspol#Floods2022

— Justine Elliot, your local Labor MP (@JElliotMP) March 9, 2022

Thousands without homes

Describing the situation in the flood-affected towns of Tweed, Byron and Ballina, Ms Elliot said a “massive housing and homelessness crisis” was unfolding due to the flood damage.

“Where are these people going to live? What where’s the government’s plan for the catastrophe and the humanitarian crisis that we’re facing?” she asked.

Ms Elliot said that while individuals, households and businesses needed to rebuild, urgent disaster funding was needed to cover “immediate basic needs” like food.

Residents in Ballina (pictured) have been devastated by the Northern NSW floods. Picture: Liana Boss

Speaking to Leigh Sales on ABC’s 7.30, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce outwardly denied that financial assistance was prioritised for National held areas.

“I don’t think for one second that there’s some form of parochialism where payments are being withheld from places because of the way the electorate votes,” he said.

“I know the inference behind that and it’s wrong. We make sure we look after all Australians.”

Instead Mr Joyce said additional payments were prioritised for Lismore, as it was viewed as the “epicentre” of the crisis.

“Obviously Lismore has been an epicentre not just for the area but for the nation in its effect, so I would not be surprised if their was an immediate concentration on the city of Lismore because it’s been seen by the nation as the epicentre – almost the ugly icon – in what the flood did.

“We don’t go through and say, ‘we’ll take this person’s life and that person’s life’. Just the suggestion we would do something like that is quite frank, offensive.”

‘People will forget or forgive’

The disaster payment bungle is one of the latest criticisms made over the government’s handling of the horrific flooding which swept through NSW’s Northern Rivers.

While Mr Morrison declared a national emergency on Wednesday, there was confusion as to why a state of emergency was never declared by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.

There was confusion over the delay in Mr Morrison declaring the flooding event a national emergency, with Mr Perrottet yet to declare a state of emergency.

Addressing media on Monday, Mr Perrottet said he believed it “not necessary” to do so.

“We believe that the co-ordination that we have in place between the Commonwealth and the state and all of our agencies has the capacity to deal with the situation in front of us,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of residents in Ballina, Byron and Tweed, however, Ms Elliot said her constituents felt incredibly let down by both the state and federal government.

“We’ve got thousands who are without homes and they’ve got not food, water or cash,” she said.

“(The government has) failed to plan, they failed to act, failed to provide the support and people here are incredibly angry.

“They won’t forget and they won’t forgive what they’ve done.”