Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to speak on the Emergency Response Fund Amendment (Disaster Ready Fund) Bill 2022. In this year's election, Labor made a commitment to improving Australia's disaster readiness by investing up to $200 million a year on natural disaster resilience and mitigation initiatives, as recommended by the Productivity Commission in 2015. With this bill, we are taking a significant step in delivering on that promise.

In May 2022, former Governor of Queensland Paul de Jersey did an independent report in response to a recommendation decision that was made by the Brisbane City Council. It's just one demonstration, in a capital city, of the impact that disasters can have on our country. Twenty thousand homes in Brisbane, in 177 suburbs, were impacted by riverine, creek and overland flow from flooding in 2022. That is an astonishing number—177 suburbs in Brisbane. Mr Deputy Speaker, just imagine the impact on the tens and tens of thousands of people. Brisbane City Council took away 60,000 tonnes of flood impacted belongings after the flood. Three thousand streets had kerbside collection, engaged in by the Brisbane City Council workers. In the Brisbane and Ipswich areas there have been close to 20 major floods since 1840; in my lifetime, in 1974, 2011, 2013 and 2022.

Natural disasters are devastating. They're unpredictable, and, tragically, in this country they're inevitable. The full impact of any disaster, particularly the economic impacts, is not felt straightaway. The recovery is a very complex process and takes years. Assistance in relation to disasters is not just what the state or federal government or a council can do at the time. While great community organisations help out enormously, it takes a very long time. So any assistance to communities, whether they are in capital cities, like Brisbane, or regional areas, like mine—Ipswich and the Somerset region—is timely and important, and it is critical to our flood resilience.

In 1974, when it was a child, my parents' house was eight feet underneath the water. It took us years and years to recover. There were 74,000 people living in Ipswich, and 1,500 homes were inundated. In 2011, when 170,000 people were living in Ipswich—it's close to 250,000 now—3,000 homes were inundated. Hundreds of businesses were destroyed. In the Somerset region, in that flood, 470 properties were inundated. Over 700 streets in Ipswich in 2011 were inundated. The impact is enormous. This is something that affects communities, individuals and families, so it's particularly important that we get disaster resilience correct in this country.

In 2011, the cost in my electorate of Blair alone was estimated to be more than a billion dollars. For a period during the last Labor government I had the responsibility, under the Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, of being in charge, from the Commonwealth point of view, of recovery after those 2011 floods. The impacts I saw as I travelled around Queensland were simply astonishing.

This legislation has been warmly welcomed. The Local Government Association has said:

Millions of Australians will … benefit from our new Government's $200 million per year Disaster Ready Fund, that will help protect high-risk communities from fires, cyclones and floods.

It has been supported by the Insurance Council of Australia, who commented that they had long called for the level of investment in resilience measures to be increased and they warmly welcomed the announcement by the then Labor federal opposition.

There's a lot of work to be done in this space. As Australians in Tasmania, New South Wales and Victoria continue to clean up, our hearts go out to them. Not only have people been impacted through the loss of jobs, homes and businesses; people have died. Many people have died in my community since those floods in 1974 that I recalled being in as a child.

The amendments in this bill change the name of the former government's emergency response fund to the Disaster Ready Fund, allow $200 million to be debited from the DRF for natural disaster resilience and risk reduction, and allow the minister to adjust that maximum disbursement amount by a disallowable legislative instrument. I think that's a sensible move, to be honest with you. It will facilitate the transfer of responsibility for fund expenditure to the new National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and streamline administrative arrangements in this space.

Under the DRF $1 billion has been set aside over the next five years to mitigate potential disaster loss and damage. This is a fundamental program that is critical across Australian communities. The specific focus of this particular expenditure in the fund will help Australians deal with future catastrophic weather events. It's vital we invest in these communities. It's vital we reduce harm, loss of life, property loss, the impact on farms and businesses, the impact on economic productivity. It's critical we do this.

The previous government put aside $4 billion. But to not spend it on any disaster resilience program is just astonishing. It acted almost like an interest bearing deposit that grew up to $800 million but didn't spend any money. It's simply astonishing to me that they did that in 2019. The purpose was to spend part of this money and for this to be like a future fund but it never happened and it's quite extraordinary that they didn't do so. I think it's an absolute dereliction of responsibility by the previous government.

We're going to put these monies to work to keep Australians safe and to keep properties safe and reduce the cost of repair from natural disasters. I recall after the 2011 floods Deloitte Access Economics saying that if we spent $250 million we could save $12 billion, with respect to the cost to the taxpayer—of recovery from floods and natural disasters as well. So this is really important. Committing this money not only mitigates damage and saves lives but we know that every dollar spent saves at least $2—but up to $11—in recovery costs.

We're dedicating the DRF to natural disaster resilience and risk reduction. There will be a clear distinction in terms of different funding sources for recovery and resilience. The government will honour previous ERF commitments announced, including recovery elements. As part of what we're doing here, it's important to note that the recovery efforts will continue on the ground for those rural communities and the country towns and cities that are, tragically, being affected currently. Arrangements are always in place and dealt with regardless of who is in power at a federal level. This particular bill is dealing with one fund. In times of difficulty politics should be set aside to deal with disasters in a way that the people expect.

My region has been smashed by floods. It has been the greatest tragedy I've seen in my time in federal parliament, seeing how my community has been impacted and the loss of life, the damage, how people have been affected. When I see the pain that they experience it takes me back to my childhood.

In last night's budget I was pleased to see the $4 million that we allocated to Ipswich showgrounds in Blair. This delivers on a key election commitment that I announced with the Minister for Emergency Management earlier this year. It comes as a result of the initiative of the Ipswich Show Society. This includes $2.5 million for general upgrades as part of the stage three redevelopment of the showgrounds, an important step towards the Ipswich Show Society's ambitious plan for an Ipswich events and exhibition centre. But more importantly $1.5 million will be allocated for the DRF to improve amenities which will be utilised by a new emergency relief centre during disasters. This is our major location as an evacuation centre in Ipswich. It's commissioned and run by the show society. They do a mighty job. During the most recent floods in 2022 the council offices, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and many communitarians with great heart acted to assist hundreds of people who were impacted by the floods. These upgrades will include toilets, showers and privacy for locals as part of a purpose-built emergency relief centre for use by the entire region as emergencies strike. Ipswich is the fastest-growing city in Queensland and it needs adequate infrastructure to support the community. This is an absolutely critical piece of infrastructure to future-proof Ipswich against the impact of devastating natural disasters. Just last week, I met with representatives from the Ipswich Show Society, Darren Zanow and Denise Hanley, to discuss their plans for the showground's upgrade. I know they'll be delighted with the news coming out of the budget. The project will help my local community better prepare for floods and natural disasters.

I'm also pleased to see $3 million in the budget to support Ipswich City Council with flood recovery and resilience projects along the Bremer River and its tributaries. I also saw the council's commitment during the last federal campaign, and beforehand, to look at the creeks and tributaries into the Bremer River, which backlog and flood, such as the Bundamba Creek, the Mihi Creek, the Deebing Creek, the Woogaroo Creek and a whole range of other creeks. Last week, I had the Minister for Water and the Environment, Tanya Plibersek, up to Ipswich, where she met with the mayor and deputy mayor of Ipswich as well as council officers and stakeholders, who are doing a lot of work in relation to cleaning up the Bremer River and the like. This $3 million will go towards geoscience, flood gauging, revegetation and eradicating noxious weeds in the area. It will also look at issues in relation to PFAS and other issues. It's really critical because we know the Bundamba Creek and other creeks flood. We've seen the impact on schools and sporting clubs, such as the Ipswich Knights Soccer Club, the Ipswich Men's Shed, Brassall state primary school and Ipswich State High School, all as a result of these creeks backlogging and the water coming back through the Bremer River. I've got the Somerset Dam and the Wivenhoe Dam, the main water supply, in my electorate. So I'm pleased to see this $3 million partnering with the $1 million Ipswich City Council will contribute towards flood resilience and recovery as part of Labor's urban rivers project as well.

A couple of weeks ago, I was delighted to meet with Ipswich homeowner Dirk de Vos, together with the Speaker, the member for Oxley, the Queensland Deputy Premier, Steven Miles, and the mayor of Ipswich. Dirk's home in Goodna was affected by the February floods and will now be bought back thanks to $740 million under the Resilient Homes Fund, a joint initiative delivered through the Commonwealth and state disaster recovery arrangements I referred to. Dirk and his family are leaving the member for Oxley's electorate. They are moving to Fernvale, a great country town in my electorate in the Somerset region. They're going to start a new life and they're looking forward to a bright future without fear of rising floodwaters. Dirk and his family have been through the floods twice.

As well as Dirk, I understand that dozens of Ipswich homeowners are now accepting offers for voluntary buybacks, with more to follow in coming months. I'm advised that a further 60 flood impacted homes in Ipswich have now been identified to proceed to independent property valuation as part of the program. This is a great outcome for those homeowners, and I commend the Ipswich City Council and the Queensland Labor government. This is a nation-leading program. I know it has bipartisan support, and I appreciate that. I want to thank the minister, the Palaszczuk Labor government and the Ipswich City Council for their efforts in working together to support these local residents.

So many people in my local area had their homes ravaged by the floods earlier this year. We can't stop the floods from occurring, but with proactive initiatives like this and the DRF we can take steps to reduce their impact. I have worked tirelessly, whether under this government, the previous government or the National Insurance Affordability Initiative that I announced with then Prime Minister Julia Gillard in February 2013, to improve flood resilience in Ipswich. Whether it was the bunt that we see near Thagoona, the flood issues and road infrastructure issues in and around Redbank Plains and Redbank Plains Road or the sandbagging equipment I got for the Ipswich City Council and the local SES, I worked hard in those areas because I know the impact that floods and natural disasters have on my community. I applaud Senator Watt, the relevant minister, for the work he's doing in this space. This is critical work for my community. If ever a bill were going to impact my community in a positive and beneficial way, it's this particular piece of legislation. I want to thank him very much for his commitment to the people of Ipswich and Somerset as well.

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