David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia) | Hansard source

The program the member asked the question about is in fact a competitive grants program and in fact is right across the country. It's part of a comprehensive package, not just through the ERF and $50 million a year but also in terms of $400 million a year in our package for mitigation works.

It's important for those opposite to understand that natural disasters are indiscriminate in where they may hit across this country. While our hearts go out to those people in Lismore, there is nothing to say that a natural disaster may not hit in another part of this country. It's important to understand that this is a partnership with states. This comes down to appropriate planning at a local and state level and making sure that we work in partnership, not just in the federal government with our competitive grants but with state governments to make sure that we get value for money not just in flood mitigation but, as we learnt, from bushfires. We must make sure that we work with those bushfire communities on mitigation works into the future.

This is about ensuring that we move towards a system and a competitive grants program that goes right across the country. Now that we have obviously seen in South-East Queensland and northern New South Wales this number of disasters, then part of the recovery process in partnership will be funding for those mitigation works that the state governments can apply for. That's part of the normal arrangements we've had with states that are long standing. That is nothing new. This was in addition to that. These are programs in addition to what we have in normal funding arrangements with state governments. We would encourage the state government to put forward any mitigation works as part of that recovery, and we will continue to roll out these programs as part of our commitment to keep Australians safe well into the future.

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