Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced his intention to declare a national emergency in response to extreme flooding in northern NSW and Queensland, during a visit to the town of Lismore devastated by the disaster.
He also said that "Australia's becoming a harder country to live in" because of the impact of natural disasters, as he announced a funding package for flood victims.
The town of Lismore has witnessed some of the worst impacts of the flooding disaster with severe damage condemning homes and businesses in the area.
Mr Morrison issued an apology to victims of the flooding saying no amount of support from the federal government would be enough to compensate them.
“What's been seen here around the town centre today and many other areas, was nothing more than heartbreaking,” he told reporters at the Lismore Emergency Operations Centre.
“You have to see it, you have to smell it, you have to feel it.”
Some residents in Lismore who spoke to SBS News earlier shared their discontent with the pace of the federal government’s response to the crisis.
Mr Morrison recognised the community "anger, frustration and the senses of abandonment" felt by those now without homes relying on emergency relief.
"I feel deeply and empathise absolutely with how people feel when they find themselves in these situations," he said.
A group of climate protesters had also earlier gathered in Lismore awaiting his arrival in the community with some chanting: “the water is rising - no more compromising”.
Mr Morrison when questioned recognised that climate change was posing an increasing threat to national security, by increasing the frequency and intensity of natural disasters.
"We are dealing with a different climate to the one we are dealing with before," he said.
"I think is just an obvious fact in Australia is getting hard to live in because of these disasters."
PM to make national emergency declaration
The national emergency declaration will allow the government to deploy additional resources to flood-impacted areas, including from the Australian Defence Force, without waiting on a request from state governments for assistance.
It is a legislative power that Mr Morrison sought after the 2019-2020 bushfire crisis that allowed Commonwealth assets to be directed to disaster-hit areas.
The decision would be the first time such a measure has been put in place in response to a national disaster.
The prime minister will recommend the declaration to the governor-general on Friday, after consulting the New South Wales and Queensland premier.
"To ensure all our emergency power is available and we cut through any red tape that might be faced," he said.
Labor's emergency management spokesperson Murray Watt said he welcomed the decision to recognise the floods as a national emergency.
"To anyone who is watching in Queensland and northern NSW is it clearly a national emergency," he told the ABC.
"The question we've got is why has it taken him this long to declare a national emergency and to finally start marshalling the resources that are needed here."
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Morrison visited someone who lost their home around Lismore, a farm near the town, and an SES staging ground near Lismore.
But media were not advised about these visits until after they happened.
Mr Morrison defended the decision not to have media present, citing the privacy of flood victims.
"I have respect for the privacy of those I came to speak for in these disasters not everybody wants a camera shoved in the face," he said.
The prime minister faced a memorable backlash when he visited fire-affected areas such as the NSW town of Cobargo in the Black Summer Fires, including meeting some people who didn't want to shake his hand.
A spokesperson for the prime minister said Mr Morrison often does both public and private engagements when he visits areas.
More support for flood victims
An additional two weekly disaster payments will be delivered in Lismore, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley Local Government Areas, automatically paid for those who have already claimed and received the support, at the current rate of $1000 per adult and $400 per child.
The payments will be made from 15 and 22 March.
There will also be $10 million to support the mental health of school-aged children in the Northern Rivers region affected by the flood disaster.
Another $5.4 million will go towards boosting existing legal assistance services operating within affected communities.
A further $25 million will also go towards emergency relief, food relief and financial counselling services.
"The point is economic support, mental health support, helping businesses get back on their feet, providing that immediate cash flow assistance right now," Mr Morrison said.
The Federal Government has paid out some $385 million in disaster payments to more than 300,000 flood victims.
He apologised that there can "never be enough support" delivered to victims "in a natural disaster such as this."
"No amount of support is going to measure up to what people need in a desperate situation like this," Mr Morrison said.
"Every federal government would always be apologetic and would always apologise."
