Reports on Sydney radio today that interstate Army Reserve personnel are not being authorised to work on flood relief / clean up because there is no money available for Reserve pay. (the same reports say that local Reservists are expected to work for no pay.)
I can more or less confiirm this as I know a Reservist who has been working full time at Russell Hill on a project that needs doing - and he is desperately needed to complete the job - but he has been (for want of a better phrase) 'stood down' ('let go' if you prefer), since the budget for Reserve pay has been exceeded some months ago by a very large margin.