The Morrison government is providing about $36 million to ensure flood-affected communities on Australia's east coast can access vital health services and additional mental health support.
Health Minister Greg Hunt says the impact of the devastating floods will be felt for years to come.
"Importantly, this package of support will be provided over the next two years because we know support won't just be needed in the next few months," Mr Hunt said.
"People living in flood-affected regions of Queensland and NSW will need substantial ongoing support."
The funding package provides $31.2 million over two years for mental health support, including $16.6 million to meet immediate psychological needs and $9 million for the mental health of children and young people.
There is also $4.7 million to ensure continuity of primary health care.
The clean-up continues in NSW and Queensland following the devastating floods, as more than 100 mobile home units head to ravaged communities in the former.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison remains under attack for his initial handing of the crisis, but he insists the defence forces and agencies involved moved as quickly as they could.
"In a disaster like I have seen up in Lismore, no response is ever going to be able to meet the overwhelming need," Mr Morrison told the Nine Network on Sunday.
"The first response always comes from the community ... then it comes from the SES and then the ADF comes to support that.
"The SES or the defence forces, they don't replace that community response, they add to it, they support it and they bring in the heavy equipment."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny visit the flood affected property of Darren Vaughan and Chloe Konispoliatis on Old Hawkesbury Road at McGraths Hill in Sydney, Saturday, March 12, 2022. Source: AAP / DEAN LEWINS/AAPIMAGE
A national emergency was declared in NSW late on Friday, triggering additional resources for flooded areas.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk knocked back a similar offer for her state, saying help was needed a week earlier.
Labor's defence spokesman Brendan O'Connor said the prime minister should have responded quicker.
"Everyone who was watching their television screens during the course of these terrible events knew that this was unprecedented and needed immediate action," Mr O'Connor told ABC's Insiders program.
"I have to say, the ADF, those that are involved are doing remarkable things, along with the volunteers and the emergency workers. But more should have been done earlier and more ADF personnel deployed quicker to help the communities of northern NSW, south east Queensland."
NSW didn't request helicopter help because of poor weather forecasting
Meanwhile helicopter operators in NSW have told the Sydney Morning Herald the state government never asked them to assist during the flood emergency, despite paying them to be on standby to help in the event of natural disasters.
But the NSW SES commissioner Carlene York said emergency crews were only expecting minor to moderate flooding in the region; less than had inundated the north coast last year.
"We resourced appropriately on those levels," Ms York said on Sunday.
Instead towns were hit with record floods, including in Lismore where waters were two metres above any event recorded.
Helicopters were meanwhile deployed to areas like Cooma, near the Snowy Mountains, to be on standby for floods that never arrived.
Ms York said the worst of the floods in the Northern Rivers had hit at night when rescue crews were restricted in what they could do.
NSW Labor leader Chris Minns said private helicopters paid for by taxpayers weren't used on either the north coast or in western Sydney.
"To me and to many others, the disaster response itself looks like a disaster in NSW at the moment," he said.
"You've got a situation where residents weren't asking but begging for help from their own government."
Premier Dominic Perrottet said a review will also look at how long it took to get defence to flood zones to help with rescue and recovery.
He said he would have preferred to have troops on the ground in disaster zones faster but didn't want his comments to be seen as him "at war" with his federal counterparts.
"It's something that we should look at, that's not a negative," Mr Perrottet said.
Floodwaters on the outskirts of Sydney in the Hawkesbury-Nepean area, where Mr Perrottet was on Sunday, were starting to fall.
But the danger was far from over, with Ms York confirming three rescues had been performed in the 24 hours since Saturday morning.
TV appeals raking in money for victims
Across Australia, television flood appeal has raised more than $25 million for victims in NSW and Queensland.
The Red Cross Flood Appeal, broadcast on Australia's three main commercial TV stations on Saturday night, surpassed its $20 million target after major donations from businesses, philanthropists and state governments.
Western Australia and Victoria donated $2 million, while South Australia chipped in with $1 million.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia is also calling for grant applications of up to $10,000 from its $2 million flood relief fund to support organisations involved in recovery efforts.
"Through these grants we hope to assist hundreds of community organisations in their clean-up, rebuild and recovery efforts," CEO Matt Comyn said.
With SBS News
