National

NSW floods affect 37,000 Indigenous people

By AAP Newswire

Mar 16, 2022

Floods in Ballina, northern NSW — Cabbage Tree Island, south of Ballina, is among Indigenous communities impacted by floods. -AAP Image

Over 36,500 Indigenous residents who live in the officially declared natural disaster zones in NSW have been directly, or indirectly, impacted by recent floods.

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Labor says this represents over 4.2 per cent of all flood-devastated communities that were hit with the unprecedented deluge that battered the state for some two weeks.

Displaced householdsÂ include those on Cabbage Tree Island, south of Ballina, which is only accessible by a bridge.

Koori Mail manager Naomi Moran told AAP earlier this week that 170 residents had been dislocated.

Ms Moran, who has been spearheading relief efforts in northern NSW, said Aboriginal families were stranded for days without food, electricity and water at the peak of the floods

"It's the first time in history that our community may not be able to return.

Labor is calling on the Government to commit funds for reconstruction particularly the Cabbage Tree Island community where multi-generational families have lived there for more than 100 years.

"There needs to be a longer-term commitment to restoring this community on traditional lands," Aboriginal Affairs spokesperson David Harris said.

"Whilst there are a range of short-term strategies there remains concerns about the serious housing shortage that already exists on the North Coast and how this disaster will further impact on Aboriginal families."

Harris also called on the Government to ensure "these communities...not be excluded from receiving extra Commonwealth disaster payments."