NSW floods: Albanese declares crisis ‘worse than 2021' as he pledges more financial assistance

7NEWS

27-05-2025

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has warned the recovery from overwhelming floods could take months but has promised less red tape and more money for impacted residents.
While touring the sodden NSW Mid-North Coast on Tuesday, the prime minister pledged more financial assistance with a one-off disaster recovery payment of $1000 for eligible adults and $400 for children in nine local government areas.
A disaster recovery allowance which provides up for 13 weeks of income support will also be extended to 19 local government areas.
'The last thing that people who've been through this experience need is to deal with bureaucracy and red tape,' the prime minister said.
'We want to make sure that the money flows and it flows through in a respectful way.'
NSW Nationals leader Dugald Saunders said the lump sum payments allotted were paltry, especially for primary producers.
'It's a good start ... but that will last only a week or so,' he said in Taree.
'That's not going to get fences back up in their paddocks. That's not going to buy all the new engines and gear they need to run their farms.
'It's a pretty big slap in the face.'
Some 70 defence personnel have been deployed to aid with the mop-up efforts in the latest natural disaster to hit NSW, which has claimed five lives and left hundreds of homes uninhabitable.
'The human impact we must remember first and foremost,' Albanese said.
'The loss of five lives through these devastating floods, but the extraordinary hardship that people have gone through.
'People have spoken about the 2021 floods and how that had a devastating impact, but that they thought that would be the peak.
'Well, this flood has been far worse and the impact has been far more severe.'
The prime minister said there are 'massive challenges' ahead as communities recover and prepare to rebuild.
'We're seeing people really pitch in and look after each other, people looking after their neighbours and bringing them into their homes, people who've been devastated,' he said.
'But there are still massive challenges, and we need to understand, and certainly the government understands, that this isn't something that will go away in a matter of days or weeks or even months.
'This will take some time for recovery, but Australians are resilient. They're tough, and we will come through this, and we'll come through it together.'
Damage assessments are continuing on Tuesday with some 794 premises including homes and businesses on the Mid-North Coast already deemed uninhabitable, SES spokesman Matt Heap said.
That dwellings figure is expected to sharply rise throughout the day.
Weather conditions are set to ease from Wednesday but damaging winds will pass through the region first.
MidCoast Mayor Claire Ponton said: 'People in this area have been suffering.
'It is totally overwhelming for everybody, and we're just so thankful that we're getting the help that we need to turn this around and actually get moving in a strong way for recovery.'
Affected locals have been picking up muddied possessions and surveying damage, while drones have been used to drop hay to isolated farms and for aerial welfare checks at properties.
Insurers have so far received more than 4000 claims.
The crisis has prompted federal-state natural disaster recovery arrangements, including small loans for business, which have been activated for 19 local government areas.
'I can assure everybody on the Mid-North Coast that those agencies are working around the clock to get those communities back up on their feet,' Premier Chris Minns said.