‘We weren’t slow’: Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Federal Government moved as quickly as it could to help flood-ravaged communities

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has acknowledged flood victims are frustrated but insists his government moved as quickly as it could to help communities as the deadly waters rose.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison insists his government moved as quickly as it could to help flood-ravaged communities in Northern NSW and Southern Queensland and says any suggestion otherwise is a Labor attack point.

Mr Morrison has been savaged this week for an apparent lack of foresight around natural disaster planning and tardiness in responding to the catastrophic flooding that left residents in towns such as Lismore and Mullumbimby fighting on their own for days.

Some people in Northern NSW had to wait on their roofs for days before being rescued from rising waters – or rely on neighbours and other community members for help – while essential supplies have been scarce as the gargantuan scale of the clean-up comes into focus.

Geoff and Jennie Youll enjoy a drink around a campfire with family and friends after cleaning out their property in Woodburn that was hit hard when the Richmond River flooded the town. Picture: Jonathan Ng

But on Sunday the Prime Minister said it was merely a “Labor narrative” that he had been slow to respond to natural disasters – including the 2019 bushfires – and insisted the federal government swung into action as quickly as it could during the recent floods.

He said the Australian Defence Force and other agencies swung into action to assist the immediate and “essential” community response.

“I understand the frustration because in a disaster like I have seen up in Lismore, no response is ever going to be able to meet the overwhelming need,” Mr Morrison told Nine’s Chris Uhlmann.

“We need the community response. That is the first response because the community is always going to be the first ones there.

“To deploy nationally positioned forces around the country, and mobilise them with the country, and mobilise them with the equipment and the heavy equipment and the supplying and the provisioning, that … You can’t just turn that off and on.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny visiting the flood affected NSW town of Windsor. Pics shows the PM meeting frontline emergency responders at Windsor Police Station. Chief Inspector Karen Clogher leads the briefing to the PM.

“You are never going to have an ADF base sitting around the corner in every single town.”

Mr Morrison also acknowledged the challenges of a rapidly changing climate but instead of focusing on emissions reductions called for more dams and better management of fuel loads in forests.

“Dealing with climate change isn't just about getting emissions down, it’s about resilience and adaptation,” he said.

“You want to deal with resilience on bushfires you have to do fuel load management.

“You want to deal with floods, you have to build dams.”

Mr Morrison’s Sunday appearance on the Today show follows a clash this week with Queensland Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who lashed the PM for dallying on declaring a national disaster for the state’s devastated south-east.

Mr Morrison recommended the declaration for NSW and Queensland on Wednesday but Ms Palaszczuk rejected the move, arguing it was needed “probably a week” earlier.

“We’ve actually gone past that. The floodwaters have gone down, they’ve subsided, and … those (state) disaster declarations will be lifted on Sunday,” she said.

The Streets of Woodburn that was hit hard when the Richmond River flooded the town. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Mr Morrison said Ms Palaszczuk had “every opportunity” to call for an emergency declaration and additional support a week ago but she had chosen not to do that.

When asked on Sunday if a familiar pattern was emerging in regards his response to a crisis – including inaction and then blame shifting – Mr Morrison shrugged off the criticism as Labor line.

“That is often the same chorus (from those who) that didn’t like how the last election went,” he said of the suggestion.

“But what I do accept is that in every single one of these cases you learn many things.

“Now, was Australia quick to move on JobKeeper? Was Australia the first to move on borders when it came to the pandemic in particular on China? We were criticised and told we were being racist.

“Was Australia slow to move in calling at the origins of the virus? No.

“Was Australia quick to move when it came to realigning our defence positioning and our force structure and the alliances and partnerships we have with other countries, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom?

“This web of protection we have built over the last 2.5 years to wait basically the Western world up to the challenges we face – no, I don’t think we have.”