Alison Penfold (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again I must stand in this place, to stand up for my communities affected by the devastating, record-breaking floods in the New South Wales Mid North Coast and Hunter regions—to stand up for people let down by government and bureaucracy. I spoke earlier in the week about the 700-plus farmers still waiting, some more than 100 days, for cat. D payments, treatment they simply not deserve. Tonight I want to focus on the silence from government about cat. D payments to small businesses. I understand that the Hunter and Mid North Coast recovery coordinator made a recommendation weeks ago to governments for cat. D funding for small businesses impacted by the floods. Who is blocking it, and why? I visited small businesses in the Taree CBD. I cannot overstate the devastating effect this event has had on the town—a town that, before these floods, had already well and truly been dealt its fair share of hardship. The effect of this event and the lack of government assistance will haunt Taree and other communities for a long time.

Right now, things have never been tougher. Following the Black Summer bushfires and the preceding ruinous floods of March 2021, the MidCoast's gross regional product declined by nearly two per cent and regional productivity dropped 2.6 per cent. Since these events, growth has lagged behind regional New South Wales, New South Wales overall and the nation. This disaster has only compounded these poor economic markers. Too many have had to liquidate stock and close their doors.

These closures impact jobs, services and entire communities. Shed Luxe has been forced to keep its doors open whilst undergoing shop repairs, in order to maintain some form of income. I've been there; I've seen it. Officeworks, a significant employer, remains closed with no reopening date in sight. Taree Motorcycles, another business I visited just after the floodwaters receded, lost over $300,000 worth of stock. Towers Smash Repairs estimates that it will cost approximately $200,000 to repair the business. Workwise Clothing has lost over $300,000 worth of stock, as well as their home. Some small businesses, like fodder and seeding businesses that are ancillary to agriculture, have even been blocked from the $25,000 small business assistance grant that is available. This is nothing but bureaucracy gone mad. This isn't about special treatment; it's about fair support. Small businesses deserve equal recognition and resources.

The support my communities need doesn't end there. Another significant issue is that many of the households and businesses lacked adequate flood insurance. This is not because of complacency on the part of business and homeowners but rather because they were either outright refused flood insurance or because of skyrocketing insurance premiums that were so exorbitant following the 2021 floods. They were simply unaffordable. Where does this leave businesses, and the many premises they are located in? No-one wants to buy them. Business owners are stuck in a hopeless situation where they must either decide to rebuild, with the threat of another flood event destroying everything again forever looming over them, or cut their losses and close their doors permanently.

This country desperately needs insurance reform. I understand that insurance companies have had to deal with record events, record claim numbers and building inflation, yet, while many are reaping strong profits, almost all local businesses and many households have had their insurance—where they could afford it—refused. We need policies that reduce premiums and reform of insurance assessment processes. If this event is a result of climate change, then where is the investment in adaptation in flood mitigation? This is needed to bring down premiums. It is unacceptable that too many small businesses are still waiting for help.

We need essential infrastructure funding, too, for bridges and to repair many other roads and community assets. In the MidCoast Council area alone, 2,985 new road defects have been identified and 450 bridges affected. This is hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to repair—even more for homes to be raised, even more for flood mitigation and even more for a Taree CBD revitalisation package.

There are shops in Pulteney Street that will never host a business again, but the space they occupy could give life to the CBD. We could create green space, a place for night markets and other community events, while also dealing with the stormwater and flood issue. There is opportunity in this recovery, but we need governments— (Time expired)