Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the Emergency Response Fund Amendment (Disaster Ready Fund) Bill 2022, noting that it implements an essential election commitment by Labor at the last election, an election commitment that was well received by our communities in McEwen. The implementation of this policy will see a vast improvement in our disaster readiness by investing up to $200 million every year to build resilience and prepare for and reduce the risk from future natural disasters.

We are acting where the last government failed abysmally. Who could forget the billions of dollars apparently committed to the former government's Emergency Response Fund sitting in the bank earning interest but doing absolutely nothing for communities suffering through disaster. In three years the ERF did not complete a single mitigation project or release one cent in recovery funding. Instead it earnt the government $800 million, taking it to nearly $5 billion all up, but nothing to show for it—not at thing. At least they were consistent over there—all announcement, no delivery. I can assure you that Labor will deliver.

There is an urgency in getting this done as we have seen the devastation caused by the recent flooding happening along the east coast of Australia. Communities like the ones I have, and the ones that you have as a neighbouring MP, are suffering through the impacts. But what's been really great is we've had a government that's been responsive and is getting there and helping.

We have no doubt that some of the effects of the recent flood events could've been mitigated if the last lot had done their jobs and protected local communities with the fund they created but never used. But no-one is surprised they couldn't get their act together. Labor is moving quickly to put this bill through so we can not only manage the recovery but also look forward to the future.

This is a matter that is incredibly important for our electorate of McEwen and for me personally having seen the impacts of these recent flooding events that have happened across our electorate. We are doing our best to support those that have been affected. I was able to get to one of the worst hit communities in the electorate last week, Darraweit Guim. Darraweit Guim, as I know you are aware, is as a small hamlet that has both Deep Creek and Boyd Creek running through it. While the community has withstood many flood incidents from either one of the two creeks over the past 30 years, this was different. This time both creeks flooded and it was nothing like the community had seen before. It was described by Viki Spedding, a Darraweit Guim local, to my team as, 'So big and fast and loud that it had a real fury to it.' Other residents talked about the roaring water that came past and through their homes. While these times can be incredibly traumatic and stressful for residents and their families, we can see the community embody the best of the Australian spirit.

In Darraweit Guim two-thirds of the community had been impacted, with the local primary school flooded and many properties becoming unsalvageable. One particular property will remain in my memory: Joanne and Neville Wests's home, which was scarred with water and debris marks that were almost six foot above the ground. Outside their beautiful weatherboard home they had gardens, but inside was where you really saw the impacts of the floods. Doors and walls were bowed from the rush of the flood. Mud and debris were strewn amongst their belongings and family possessions that can never be replaced. The family were quick to thank everyone who helped, especially the Wallan football club, whose young men arrived armed with brooms and shovels to clear the thick mud that was left behind.

Another example is how the local community gathered to protect the only business in Darraweit Guim, which is of course Darraweit Valley Cider. The community came together to protect the blossoms for next year's crop. Marc Serafino credited local volunteers in the Star Weekly and saidthatthe community volunteers 'came in and took all the debris off'. What could have been a job that would have taken weeks was done in two days. That gives them a chance to have the next crop come through and lessens the impacts that they are facing in their business. I did note today that they're talking about reopening next week. That is the strength and resilience of the people I represent throughout our region. Despite the devastation in the region, Darraweit Valley Cider is going on. Marc and Jenny's resilience is second to none.

Examples of this kind of community spirit really spurred me on when I had to fight to make sure that the residents of Darraweit Guim were able to receive all the funding available to other flood affected communities. It was in stark contrast to what we saw previously, because the Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt, and the Minister for Government Services, Bill Shorten, worked with me to make sure that this community could receive the support they needed. We should acknowledge and give real credit to Viki Spedding and Christine Craik for their dedicated efforts in helping the community navigate assistance from federal, state and council resources. Businesses and residents received the funding incredibly quickly. Darraweit Valley Cider said that they received federal funding within 15 minutes of entering their claim. That is the speed it happened.

I think back to the time of the 2014 Kilmore fires. The previous government—and it was Minister Keenan at the time, and I had very strong words with him in the parliament—didn't even set up an agency to help us. The communities were left for dead. I remember his words clearly to me, 'Sorry, we only contacted government members.' That was the way communities were treated under the former mess called the LNP government.

From Ash Wednesday to Black Saturday, through floods and storms we have seen the worse of what our environment has to offer. Our communities know that we can do better at protecting ourselves from these disasters and bouncing back from them, but they need support to do that. This government is committed to reducing the trauma, damage and loss of life we see all too often during natural disasters. It is involving communities in that work.

Recently in Nillumbik shire where I was pleased, along with my good friend and neighbour the member for Jagajaga, to announce a disaster risk reduction program that will help our communities be better prepared. The Victorian and federal governments have invested in the Nillumbik community connectors program. The cornerstone of this project is the Nillumbik community connectors program, which includes a series of workshops and skill-building activities that will empower local community members to identify risks relating to storms, heatwaves and other disasters. Participants will co-design a community led plan that includes triggers for when and how council should share information before, during and after heatwaves, storms and other emergencies. The community connectors will be able to represent the ideas and suggestions of the local community for how these disaster risks can be reduced. These projects and initiatives will be supported by council and agencies. The program will foster community ownership and leadership of place based disaster risk reduction efforts. What a great community based program that will be.

In addition to that we announced funding for an emergency management exercise. This will culminate in a storm scenario. It will involve council and emergency management agencies, including the Nillumbik Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee and the Nillumbik community connectors. This will build upon the improved connections and capabilities developed through the project while strengthening collaboration between community, council and the agencies in all phases of emergency planning, preparedness, response and recovery. The exercise will be key to building disaster-resilient communities that are aware of local risks and invest in preparedness and risk mitigation. There are two great initiatives there in Nillumbik that are the sort of investment we need right across electorate and the country. No doubt that is why investing up to $200 million per year on resilience projects was recommended by the Productivity Commission in the 2015 report into national disaster funding and is supported by insurers, local governments and disaster relief bodies.

This investment in resilience will go a long way to underpinning the good work already being done in our community not only to protect lives and property but also to reduce the impact on taxpayers when it comes to the aftermath of disaster. It's the approach of the fence at the top of the hill rather than the ambulance at the bottom. It will also ensure that the National Emergency Management Agency has the appropriate powers and arrangements in place to administer payments for the DRF.

I know how much support a program like this has in the communities across our electorates, and I was also pleased to see that it is supported by ALGA and the Insurance Council of Australia. Labor is going to deliver on this commitment. I know our communities will benefit greatly from this program because it's so important and we've been through it, but we only get through it because we work together and we stick fast and stick strong. One of the great things that you see when you go through things like Ash Wednesday, Black Saturday, the Kilmore fires and the Macedon storms we had last year and this year—these ever-increasing and increasingly severe storms and the impacts they have—is the way that our community bands together. It doesn't matter if it's, rain, hail, sleet or snow; people will be there helping. The one thing that has always been missing is a federal government that's actually committed to addressing problems caused by climate change and make sure that risk mitigation was in place. That's why it's so important that we get this through and get it through very quickly. That's why I will be supporting this bill and commend it to the House.

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