A coalition of ex-fire and emergency services chiefs has accused the federal government of "fumbling" the east coast flood crisis, repeating the mistakes of Black Summer by failing to heed warnings in the months before disaster struck.
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The group is pointing to a pair of briefings which federal agencies gave ahead of this summer as proof the Morrison government knew what was coming.
The Emergency Leaders for Climate Action has launched a blistering attack on the government as the political fallout continues to the catastrophic floods which have devastated communities in northern NSW and south-east Queensland.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison was on Sunday again pushing back at suggestions the government had been too slow to act, insisting the Defence Force and Commonwealth agencies responded as quickly as they could.
But Labor defence spokesman, Brendan O'Connor, said Mr Morrison could have declared the floods a national emergency sooner, sending to signal to the ADF about the urgency of the situation.
Mr O'Connor also used an interview on ABC's Insiders program to confirm a Labor government would consider a dedicated taskforce to respond to fires and floods, as he questioned if it was sustainable to keep calling in the army during natural disasters.
The political back-and-forth came amid reports on Sunday the NSW State Emergency Services had twice rejected assistance from the ADF in the days before flood waters peaked on the Northern Rivers.
The flood crisis has put the spotlight on the Morrison government's handling of natural disasters, reigniting debates which raged through the Black Summer fires.
The group of 37 former fire and emergency services chiefs say the government's management of the latest disaster has echoes of the 2019-20 fire season.
Greg Mullins, the former NSW Fire and Rescue commissioner who leads the group, shot to national prominence during Black Summer after it emerged he had written to and requested meetings with Mr Morrison to warn the government about the dangers of the coming season.
The group is this time pointing to a presentation from Emergency Management Australia boss Joe Buffone to national cabinet on November 5 as evidence Mr Morrison was warned about the prospect of a summer flood emergency.
The presentation to Mr Morrison and state and territory leaders, which independent senator Rex Patrick obtained under freedom of information, highlighted flooding in northern NSW and south-east Queensland as among the "regional hazards" for the mid-to-late summer period.
The group has also seized on a briefing which the same government authority gave to community sector and charity stakeholders on October 13.
One participant, Community Council of Australia chief executive David Crosbie, confirmed to The Canberra Times attendees were warned about the prospect of severe flood events in the coming summer.
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Mr Mullins said the government's "fumbling" of the flood disaster was "Black Summer all over again". He said the government had repeatedly failed to listen to expert advice, as he accused it of not acting on recommendations from the bushfire royal commission.
"The government knew what was coming and it did not adequately prepare our communities or first responders," he said.
"Our elected leaders in Canberra are failing communities right around the country impacted by this disaster, and thousands of emergency service volunteers and professionals who willingly place their own lives in danger by responding to increasingly frequent and dangerous climate-fuelled disasters."
The group believes "truly transformative" action is needed on climate change, which includes cutting emissions 75 per cent by the end of the decade and reaching net zero emissions by 2035.
In an interview with the Nine Network on Sunday, Mr Morrison again accepted climate change-fuelled natural disasters were making Australia a tougher place to live.
But Mr Morrison said tackling global warming wasn't just about cutting emissions.
"It's about resilience and adaption," he said.
"You want to deal with resilience on bushfires, you have to do fuel load management. You want to deal with floods, you've got to build dams."
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
