The Queen sends condolences to Australia after recent floods

The Queen sends condolences to Australia after recent floods in Queensland and New South Wales.

THE Queen has sent her condolences to the Governor-General of Australia regarding the devastating floods in Queensland and New South Wales.

The Queen said in a statement: “I have been following the news of the recent floods in Queensland and New South Wales closely and have been saddened to hear of the loss of life and the scale of devastation.

“In the immediate response, Australians’ resolute spirit and community-mindedness has once again shone through. My thanks go out to the emergency services and many volunteers who have tirelessly assisted those in need,” the monarch said.

“My thoughts continue to be with those who have been impacted as the focus now turns to the long recovery phase ahead.”

The Queen’s message of condolence to the Governor-General of Australia regarding the devastating floods in Queensland and New South Wales. pic.twitter.com/py2BgW1SsH

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 5, 2022

Heavy rain and gale-force winds in Sydney show no sign of easing, while Lismore and northern NSW continue major clean-up efforts – as disputes over flood response funds continue to wrangle on.

“The federal government cannot wash its hands of responsibility,” according to the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) after it was revealed that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had refused a request from the Queensland government to help fund a $741m flood response.

“These programs can and should be directly funded and delivered by the Queensland government in the same way that the commonwealth fully funds significant elements of our own contribution,” Morrison said, noting that such recovery funds are out “outside the scope” of federal disaster recovery programs.

Calling for $726m to be invested jointly by the Queensland and federal governments over five years, the ICA responded to Scott Morrison.

“As severe rain and flooding continues to impact the east coast, the failure of the federal government to match Queensland’s investment in measures to improve household and community protections against extreme weather is disappointing and short-sighted,” the ICA’s chief executive, Andrew Hall, said.

“If Australia is to get serious about improving our resilience to flood, bushfire and cyclone, all levels of government must contribute.

“Australians – particularly those still impacted by the ongoing rain and flooding – want governments to come together to provide better protections against worsening extreme weather, not wash their hands of responsibility,” as reported by the Guardian.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.