Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) | Hansard source

The people of Western Sydney, like so many Australians, have been impacted by flooding over recent weeks—not as badly as the people of Brisbane or the Northern Rivers but still badly impacted. Those floods have impacted Western Sydney without discrimination. The difference is that this federal government has not declared the Cumberland Council area a disaster area. Fairfield has been declared, Blacktown has been declared, Parramatta has been declared and Canterbury Bankstown has been declared, but people in Cumberland have not been able to apply for assistance. Cumberland Council is literally surrounded by the other councils. It is literally landlocked by the councils that have been declared. The floods did not check the local government maps. The floods did not check which council areas they could go to and which areas would receive support from the Morrison government. People in Cumberland have been impacted. Sonia contacted me just today. She's a single mum from Greystanes with two girls in high school, both with serious heart conditions. The storm cut their electricity for three days as the water gushed through their house. She's been unable to turn on the air conditioning to help dry out the house. She's had to borrow money to get the ceilings of her kids' bedrooms replaced because of the flood damage, and she's not even allowed to apply for assistance, because this government hasn't listened. I've written to Minister McKenzie. We've raised it with Mr McKenzie. We have received absolutely no response. The people of Cumberland City Council deserve better than this arrogant government, which has just ignored them. The floods do not check how people vote. The floods do not check how people are impacted. The floods impacted everyone, and the Prime Minister should— (Time expired)

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