Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will declare the flooding disaster in northern New South Wales (NSW) a national emergency. Morrison will make the announcement on Wednesday during a visit to Lismore, one of the most affected towns and currently undergoing clean up and recovery. This is the first time the national emergency powers, established after the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires, have been used. It cuts the red tape between state and federal governments, such as allowing the deployment of the Australian Defence Force without a formal request from the states. The rain began easing on Wednesday, but around 40,000 people remain under evacuation orders across the state. The declaration comes after Sydney’s northern beaches were inundated by flooding on Tuesday and the Manly Dam began overflowing on Tuesday evening. A high student who attends a school located in a low lying area near Manly Dam told The Epoch Times on …