Saffin, Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg, Clarence Member Chris Gulaptis and Richmond Valley Mayor Robert Mustow were invited to address the start of the second day of the upper house consultation in response to the big floods in NSW in 2022.
Krieg told the Lismore Workers Sports Club audience that Resilience NSW struggled with the concept that working in an emergency crisis was a 24-hour job.
He said the council operated an evacuation center for up to 800 people for two weeks before a state government agency offered support.
“At the height of a natural disaster, it’s 24-hour work, seven days a week, which I think is where Resilience really fought,” he said. “[They had] a concept of, well, it’s five o’clock and I’m going home a kind of stage.
“We had local elected councilors [at the evacuation centre] who were doing the night shift from 7pm to 7am. They were acting as advisers, security guards, unfortunately, also methadone distributors, all because the government agencies simply weren’t there. “
Saffin explained how Resilience NSW was not prepared for a disaster, and how she and other local representatives had to contact the Prime Minister’s Office to get other agencies to access evacuation centers, as well as organize security and the food of the Salvation Army.
“NSW resilience has been found to be lacking at all levels, it is institutionally incapable of doing the work it is supposed to do by law,” the Labor MP said.
“Everyone talks about this flood as unprecedented … and unprecedented it becomes ‘we couldn’t have done this better.’
“Well, you can do it with disaster preparedness. One of the key principles is that you prepare for what you did, not for what happened before.”
Chris Gulaptis told the consultation that the response from government agencies was inadequate and slow.
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“People were sleeping on the floors of schools, churches and hotels,” the nationals deputy said. [Families and strangers] they slept next to each other, or in their cars with their pets for more than a week. By comparison, a tent village for 500 RFS volunteers was set up in Wollongbar in just two days.
“I have also been criticized by government agencies for helping flood victims recover because their response is too slow and bureaucratic. And I think this is largely due to the agencies’ lack of a coordinated response. state and federal “.
Mayor Mustow said the NSW government did not yet have a clear, decisive and cohesive capacity for emergency response and recovery.
Asked how he felt about the residents who were left homeless by the disaster who were forced to pay their fees, Mayor Krieg said he felt ashamed and humiliated. He said he had been pressuring the NSW government for 12 weeks to get some help.
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“As a newly elected representative, I would have thought that we could help our citizens and discover that it is a legal requirement for these houses and these companies was a shock to me.
“These are the kinds of bureaucratic rubbish we’re dealing with.”
The Upper House Committee’s investigation into the flooding of Sydney’s north and west coast travels to flood-affected state communities to examine disaster preparedness, coordination and response.
An independent government investigation, led by the Independent Planning Commission of NSW President Dr. Mary O’Kane, and former NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller, is underway to investigate the causes of the floods. emergency response and the future of construction on floodplains.
A spokesman for Emergency Services and Flood Resilience and Recovery Minister Steph Cooke said it was not appropriate to comment on individual contributions or evidence until the investigation had made its recommendations.
He said Resilience NSW continued to be responsible for providing immediate assistance by replenishing isolated communities with essential items, helping clean up properties and supporting the deployment of temporary accommodation in the short to medium term.
“Resilience NSW continues to work in Northern Rivers communities and is conducting outreach programs to ensure that all flood victims have the opportunity to have face-to-face support during their recovery,” he said.
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