Australian Army Accused Of Using East Coast Flood Tragedy As A Photo Op
Furious locals in the flood-ravaged town of Lismore have taken to social media to roast the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
Some have claimed the ADF is using the devastation as a photo-op instead of providing much-needed relief to their decimated community.
In one video shared on Twitter, up to 10 army personnel could be seen clearing a trailer from the yard of a flood-ruined home, while their colleagues used professional camera equipment to capture it on film.
The army's finally turned up in northern NSW but they're filming themselves emptying an already packed trailer of rubbish while 1000s need help, food and medicine
— Media Analyst (@MediaAnalystOz) March 6, 2022
Unbelievable
Photo ops, all the way down, under Morrison's watch
c/o @Adnate10#auspol #NSWFloods pic.twitter.com/PTuw4DWPlB
"The army's finally turned up in northern NSW but they're filming themselves emptying an already packed trailer of rubbish while thousands need help, food and medicine," the caption read.
"Photo ops, all the way down, under Morrison's watch."
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The Koori Mail also lashed out at the ADF on social media, lambasting the armed forces for taking advantage of local people putting in 'the hard yards' in the flood clean-up.
"We realise no one could have prepared for the the extent of the devastation that has rocked Bundjalung," they said on social media.
"However, token staged photos have been noticed all around Lismore, while grassroots community members have been putting in the hard yards."
Their comments come as Lismore residents continue to hit out at the government's slow response to the NSW flood crisis. The town has been left in tatters following two weeks of heavy rain, which caused flooding and destroyed more than 2,000 homes.
Four people have lost their lives in the deluge.
Some locals have been forced to flee their homes and fend for themselves in the days after floodwaters ripped through their town.
The Australian Defence Force has hit back at criticisms that the army has not done enough for locals, with Major General David Thomae telling reporters that he believes the ADF has done 'all that we can within the conditions we have been faced with.'
“It is great to see other community members supporting their own community,” he said.
“It is not just an ADF response, it is the local government and local emergency services who were working very hard over the last week. We support them.
“If local communities are supporting their own community, I think that is a great thing.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has shrugged off complaints that there were not enough defence personnel to respond to the crisis, telling reporters that several thousand were on standby to assist the recovery effort.
"There are 2,000 who are available to be deployed, and those ADF are continuing to roll in where they've been tasked," Mr Morrison said.
"There are difficulties getting into a lot of these places currently ... that's why they're using the helicopters and other supports."
Rachel Lang