Nationals Member for Myall Lakes, Tanya Thompson, has called out Premier Chris Minns for his out-of-touch comments regarding the recovery of flood-affected communities along the Mid North Coast.
This morning, on television, the Premier claimed:
“I think the thing we should be most proud of is the way that we rallied during Cyclone Alfred at the beginning of the year, and the way the community got back up off its knees on the Mid North Coast after those devastating floods… I mean, we move on… But those towns really went through hell…”
Mrs Thompson said while the Premier may believe the hardship is behind us, residents, small businesses, and community groups in Myall Lakes and surrounding regions know the real story.
“The Premier speaks as though people have moved on, but our communities haven’t had the luxury of ‘moving on’,” Mrs Thompson said. “I speak with locals every day who are still facing financial strain, mental health stress, and ongoing infrastructure damage months after the event.”
“The Minns Government cannot pat itself on the back while families are still living in temporary accommodation, businesses are still rebuilding their customer base, and recovery funding remains slow, fragmented, or simply missing.”
Mrs Thompson said she will continue fighting for tangible support not just sympathetic soundbites.
“I’m calling on the Premier to get out of Sydney, come back to the Mid North Coast, speak directly with affected residents, and see firsthand that we are still hurting and still waiting for comprehensive recovery support.”
Nationals’ Member for Oxley, Michael Kemp, said the Premier wouldn’t be congratulating himself if he truly understood the situation.
“Businesses in my electorate like RM’s Diesel & Tractor Service lost over half a million dollars in equipment. Hot n Tasty had to remortgage their home just to stay afloat. The Half Way Shop still hasn’t reopened,” Mr Kemp said.
“Many of these businesses still don’t have the support they need because the application process has been so complicated, so time-consuming, and so poorly communicated that people can’t get through it.
“The Minns Government cannot pat itself on the back while these businesses are being left behind.”
