Federal government is facing questions about why it has taken this long to make the call
- Follow our Covid live blog for the latest updates
- Damaging wind warning for NSW east coast after thousands flee homes as flooding swamps Sydney
- Politicians back expanding cyclone scheme to cover floods
- Two dead, roads inundated, suburbs across Sydney swamped
- Get our free news app; get our morning email briefing
Scott Morrison is expected to declare a floods “national emergency” when he lands in devastated Lismore on Wednesday afternoon, as well as detailing new funding for disaster zones up and down the east coast.
The emergency declaration will give the federal government greater power to send in defence force assets and skirt around administrative “red tape” to get financial support out quicker. But the Morrison government is already facing questions over why it has taken so long to make such a call.