Calls For Increased Government Support For Flood Impacted Communities

There are significant calls to increase funding and support for communities impacted by disasters, following the devastating floods in NSW and Queensland.

Australia Today's Steve Price spoke to Australian Council of Social Services CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie about calls to increase funding to flood-affected areas, and other communities like them in the future. 

“Some of the people that have been wiped out by the floods were also wiped out by the bush fires. We said two years ago that we need to make that disaster repayment not $1000 which it was 15 years ago, but $3000 for everyone who’s been hit hard by this event, and it needs to get to them quickly.”

She said it was a humanitarian crisis when thousands of families have lost their homes and we weren’t able to provide adequate housing fast enough.

"We're concerned, we know we weren't able to produce temporary accommodation quickly." 

"Thousands of families have lost their homes. In Lismore however, 87% of homes were not insured, because their incomes ate too low, cost of housing too high - many have traded off keeping insurance because those prices were going up as well.  We can't just expect communities to lead. People in communities have done extraordinary jobs... to keep families and people safe, but we’ve got to have a strong disaster plan that can be stood up rapidly when these kinds of events occur. ” she said, explaining the government had temporarily increased disaster payments. 

“Those increases need to be permanent. At the moment the government is only making them available at $3000 for a handful of places when actually that needs to be guaranteed whenever these events occur." 

An emergency housing package was announced nearly two weeks ago, however, it's expected to be weeks until emergency accommodation can be set up,  Lismore Mayor Steve Kreig said earlier this week, leaving families still sleeping in cars or in homes without electricity. 

Listen to Steve and Dr Goldie's discussion on Australia Today: 

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