A political fight has broken out between local councils, the NSW government and the Commonwealth over the allocation of federal disaster funding in flood-affected areas:
A member of the Australian Defence Force helps with clean-up efforts following floods in Lismore, NSW.A political fight has broken out between local councils, the NSW government and the Commonwealth over the allocation of federal disaster funding in flood-affected areas.The mayor of a flood-devastated community on the Northern Rivers says the prime minister's office hasn't contacted her.
"The only way I can get through this, basically, is to believe that the prime minister's office doesn't have our numbers yet and as soon as he is made aware of the devastation the human toll that we've had ," Ms Cherry told the ABC on Thursday.It comes after NSW Liberal MLC Catherine Cusack, who is from the Northern Rivers, said she would quit the party over what she believed was a decision to allocate Commonwealth disaster payments on partisan lines.
"The idea that being a flood victim in a National Party-held seat makes you more worthy than a flood victim who is in the Richmond electorate ... is probably the most unethical approach I have ever seen," Ms Cusack said. NSW Treasurer Matt Kean also acknowledged concerns over the allocation of disaster funds, but said he didn't think they were being handed out on a partisan basis.
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