Lismore flood victims dump ruined belongings outside PM’s house
<p dir="ltr">Lismore residents have taken their flood-affected belongings to Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Sydney residence, calling on him to act on climate change.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Nine residents of the area, which has been devastated by recent flooding, brought a truck to Kirribilli House and dumped a number of items, including flood-ruined carpet, toys and furniture, outside the front gate earlier this week.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Kate Stroud, who lost her home in the floods, said the group felt compelled to demonstrate after Mr Morrison visited the town earlier in the month but failed to speak to some residents.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ms Stroud lost her home in the floods, having been rescued by another resident on a jet ski after sheltering on her roof for six hours, and has said she wasn’t the only one looking to speak to the PM.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Everybody that I know has lost their homes, they’ve lost their businesses. We have basically lost our entire town,” she said on Monday morning.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">“We tried to have this conversation with him face to face in Lismore, but he slipped through the back door of our council chambers. If our leaders can’t come at least sit at a table with us and chat to us at times of devastation, what are they doing?”</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">At the Prime Minister’s residence, Kirribilli House, standing in solidarity with Lismore flood survivors. Calling on <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottyFromMktg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottyFromMktg</a> to stop funding the climate crisis. <a href="https://t.co/lHYSwZLZ7i">pic.twitter.com/lHYSwZLZ7i</a></p>
<p>— Naomi Hodgson (@CrystalNomes) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrystalNomes/status/1505653019718737921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">Several residents held a ruined, mud-covered door with a message spray-painted on it in red.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Morrison, your climate megaflood destroyed our homes,” it read.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Other signs read, ‘Lismore now, where next?’ and ‘Your climate inaction killed my neighbour’.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ms Stroud said residents were calling on the government to take action against climate change.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“We are so sick of the bottomless promises when there is a bigger picture to look at,” she said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“We need to fund the climate crisis [response], this is climate change and this will happen to somebody you love, someone you know, or it could happen to you personally.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Although <em>9News </em>reported that his car was seen leaving shortly before protestors arrived, Mr Morrison was in Queensland during Monday’s protest, according to <em><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/flood-hit-lismore-residents-dump-debris-outside-kirribilli-house-20220321-p5a6dy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sydney Morning Herald</a></em>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">He responded to questions about the demonstration by referring to the $1.7 billion already committed to flood response and recovery, and that the bulk of the funds were already “out the door supporting people”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“These floods [across NSW and south-east Queensland] are the worst we’ve ever seen,” Mr Morrison said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I can understand the frustration. But what I can assure you is the commitments [we’ve made] .. means we’ll be there with them to build back.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">“I think the politicisation of natural disasters is very unfortunate. Everyone’s just doing the best they can.”</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Lismore residents protest at Kirribilli House <a href="https://t.co/d5ciaZPaBd">pic.twitter.com/d5ciaZPaBd</a></p>
<p>— Carol Connolly (@carolcarcos) <a href="https://twitter.com/carolcarcos/status/1505682999505219586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">Despite his absence, Lismore resident Kudra Ricketts told <em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/lismore-flood-survivors-dump-debris-outside-pms-house/58b54741-e566-4bec-a667-7433b0753c18" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a></em> she hoped the message she and the other demonstrators were sending would still reach Mr Morrison.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I hope that he’s able to listen to the media,” she said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“He’s done the same thing as he did when he was in Lismore. He didn’t want to talk to us. He doesn’t want to speak to us again. I can see that. It’s time he starts to listen to us.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I don’t want this to happen to anyone else. It’s been so traumatic for me and everyone that I love. Climate change is here now.”</p>
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<p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>
