Ben Fordham has grilled the NSW Emergency Services Minister over reports the state rejected Australian Defence Force assistance ahead of the devastating floods.

On February 25, Defence Force made two offers to send troops in preparation for the looming rain bomb.

They were both rejected by the NSW SES.

“You have to acknowledge, in hindsight, it was a mistake to say no on February 25,” Ben Fordham told Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke.

But she insists that’s a matter for an official review.

On February 27 NSW decided to make a formal request for Defence Force troops to Lismore, a day before the devastating floods.

NSW made two more requests for Defence help on February 28 and March 4, but they didn’t receive any confirmation of 2,000 personnel until hearing via a journalist.

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