A Liberal upper house MP is resigning and a Northern Rivers mayor has gone to the Governor-General over concerns about perceived favouritism in the allocation of federal flood assistance.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week announced extra financial support would be available immediately for people in Lismore, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley local government areas (LGAs), which all sit in the Nationals-held seat of Page.
The neighbouring flood-affected LGAs of Ballina, Byron and Tweed – all in the Labor-held seat of Richmond – have not received the extra $2,000 per person support.
Ballina Mayor Sharon Cadwallader said she supported the need for targeted funding, but the delay in emergency funding to hundreds of people in her region was not good enough.
"Why can't our people be supported now when they need it?" she said.
Ms Cadwallader met Governor-General David Hurley last week when he visited the flood-ravaged Northern Rivers region, including parts of the Ballina shire.
She decided to phone Governor-General Hurley again on Wednesday after "getting the run around" between ministers and government officials over the past week over the funding.
"He said: 'Haven't you got it yet?' And I said: 'No, we haven't your Excellency.'
"I've been doing lots of lobbying and getting nowhere."
In a statement, a spokesman from the Governor-General's office said General Hurley "is not involved in and does not intervene in operational or policy decisions" but noted he was "struck by the scale of the devastation and inspired by the grit, determination and generosity of the response".
Liberal MLC intends to quit
This issue of additional emergency disaster funding has been the catalyst for North Coast-based Liberal MLC Catherine Cusack to announce she will leave Parliament.
"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," she said.
Ms Cusack has been a vocal critic of her party before, crossing the floor on koala policy.
She said she has informed the Premier and Liberal Party state director of her decision and understood there would be a preselection process to follow.
"I can't defend it and I'm outraged by it."
"The whole Northern Rivers should have been given funding according to their need, not according to their LGA, it's unprecedented."
Ms Cusack was elected to the upper house in 2019, with her term due to end in 2027.
'Hit in the guts' for residents
For Ilias Katsapouikidis, a resident from Main Arm in the hills of Mullumbimby, it was difficult to understand the delay.
"It's kind of a hit in the guts," he said.
"That little bit (of disaster support) goes a long way."
Mr Katsapouikidis runs a catering company and his home and business equipment were damaged in the flood event.
"At our property, we had no water, no power for almost a week, no NBN, we couldn't even talk to people who were concerned for us," he said.
Byron Shire Mayor Michael Lyon said it was a sentiment shared across the LGA.
"It's heartbreaking for people in our shire that a boundary dictates whether or not they're going to get assistance when they have lost just enough as those in those shires that been awarded money," he said.
"Even at its core, the criteria and how it's applied is hard to understand, it should be based on loss, and it's clear that our community has lost heaps."
Mr Lyon says with the streets of places such as Mullumbimby still lined with debris, it was obvious the need was there.
"I just think we need to stop dithering."
