Military personnel helping flood-affected communities have been verbally abused by some residents, and in one case a soldier was allegedly spat on, in behaviour described as "regrettable" by the Australian Defence Force.
Australian Defence Force soldiers assisting the local community of Lismore, NSW. Photo: AFP / Australian Defence Force
The head of the NSW State Emergency Service's Northern Command, Steve Patterson, told the ABC he was frustrated at so-called social media influencers and members of the public who had unfairly criticised soldiers in uniform.
Chief Superintendent Patterson, who also previously served in the ADF, said many of the local military reserve personnel working under him had also lost property during the floods.
"A Defence member that I've been working with quite closely right throughout the flood, who was in Lismore in uniform, was spat upon by a member of the public," he said.
"That's just behaviour that is almost beyond my understanding at any point, but let alone when these members have been out there working so hard."
Over recent weeks there has been heavy criticism over the time taken for the military to respond to the flood disaster, with state and federal government figures blaming each other for not deploying ADF resources earlier.
Several soldiers, who spoke to the ABC on the condition of anonymity, described incidents of flood victims in the Northern Rivers taking their personal frustrations out on men and women in uniform.
Videos posted online by Instagram users with thousands of followers have also featured vision of deployed ADF personnel along with derogatory comments about their work ethic.
In an Instagram story created by a popular Gold Coast entrepreneur, soldiers were pictured walking in uniform with an accompanying caption stating: "Sadly no help from the army - not a sign of dirt."
"All fun and games for them. Did not see them interacting with a single local," the high-profile influencer claimed in her post.
Another widely viewed video featured a woman driving past soldiers who appear to be taking a break by the side of a road, who then sarcastically tells them: "Great job guys - smoko!"
Chief Superintendent Patterson said he was worried about the mental health impacts of the emerging negative attitude towards emergency responders, and urged critics to carefully reflect on their words.
"I would just ask them if they have a platform, if they have a profile, just to reflect on the fact that the tone and the content of the information that is being put out there can have a really profound effect on people who are just really working their guts out," he said.
"I fully understand that the people impacted by these disasters, there will be anger, there will be grief, that is a completely normal response to what they've been through."
Lieutenant Colonel Susana Fernandez, who commands the Army Reserve's 41st Battalion based in East Lismore, told ABC North Coast earlier this week that some of her troops had been "getting a bit of negative feedback from the locals that's really not fair".
"Soldiers were there on the ground at the beginning, and I just hope people appreciate that when they meet a soldier in uniform who might be driving home, going to the shops, picking up fuel, picking up kids from school - that they thank them," she said.
In a statement to the ABC, the Defence Department said it was "aware of reports of regrettable behaviour directed at ADF personnel supporting flood response and recovery efforts in northern New South Wales by a small number of community members".
"While there is no place for such behaviour anywhere in the community, we acknowledge this has been an extremely difficult time for those affected by this significant flooding event.
"The ADF is proud to serve the community and grateful for the positive response our personnel have received from a broad sector of the communities we are supporting."
- ABC
