Australia to declare floods a national emergency

Australia's prime minister on Wednesday said he would declare a national emergency following floods across large swathes of the east coast that have claimed 22 lives.Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the announcement during a visit to flood-devastated Lismore in northern New South Wales state, where four people died last week.It is the first such declaration since a law was passed in December 2020 in response to catastrophic wildfires during the previous Southern Hemisphere summer.

Scott Morrison, Australian Prime Minister said "The National State of Emergency declaration which was established after the Black Summer bushfires and the Royal Commission that was held, I announced my intention to recommend to the Governor-General (David Hurley) a National Emergency Declaration covering this severe weather and flooding events across both New South Wales and Queensland to ensure all our emergency powers are available and that we cut through any red tape that might be faced. That's the principle purpose of that declaration."

The declaration means flood victims won't have to provide identification documents to receive support payment and, in some circumstances, the federal government can act independently in areas where the state governments haven't requested help.