Emma Comer (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This motion rightly acknowledges the scale and seriousness of the natural disasters that Australians have endured over the summer of 2025 and 2026, and today we pause to reflect and recognise the loss, the hardship and the extraordinary efforts of those responding on the ground. Australians have had a tough summer. Queenslanders have been hit with major flooding and Victorians with fire. Across our country we are witnessing the impacts of extreme weather. In Victoria communities have faced devastating bushfires, with more than 400 homes lost and a loss of around 20,000 sheep. Families have lost not just their houses but memories, livelihoods and a sense of safety. In Queensland communities have been hit with extraordinary amounts of rainfall, particularly across the north and the north-west. The full scale of the damage is still emerging, but we already know the losses are significant, with stock losses of around 50,000.

These events underline just how exposed many communities are to severe weather events. For primary producers, small-business owners and households, the loss of homes, stock, equipment and income is not only financially devastating but emotionally exhausting. Many Australians have lost property or livestock as a result of these disasters. We express our deepest sympathies to the Australians who have lost their incomes, their homes or their lives during these events.

The Albanese Labor government has been working closely with the Queensland government to activate disaster assistance across 46 local government areas. More than $66 million has already been announced through the joint Commonwealth and state disaster recovery funding arrangements. This funding will support communities, farmers and businesses. This includes primary producer grants, emergency fodder support, small-business recovery grants, mental health and wellbeing programs and critical infrastructure repairs. Personal hardship assistance and disaster recovery allowance payments are helping families meet immediate needs while they begin the long task of rebuilding.

In Victoria nearly $330 million has now been committed under joint Commonwealth and state arrangements to support recovery from the January bushfires. Assistance includes clean-up programs, emergency accommodation, mental health services, primary producer grants, concessional loans and restoration. These measures are about more than dollars; they are about dignity, stability and giving communities the tools they need to recover. I want to thank the emergency service personnel and first responders for their work in keeping Australians safe—firefighters, SES volunteers, police, paramedics, defence personnel and the community volunteers that have worked tirelessly in extreme heat and dangerous conditions to protect lives and property.

We all share a responsibility to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters in a changing climate, and the frequency and ferocity of these events is set to increase. As such, the Albanese government has made preparedness the national priority through the establishment of NEMA, the $1 billion Disaster Ready Fund, increased investment in aerial firefighting, upgraded flood-warning systems and the creation of a national emergency stockpile. In Queensland alone hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested to reduce risk and strengthen resilience, particularly in North Queensland. We are committed to supporting communities before disaster strikes, standing with them during the crisis and walking alongside them through the recovery.

The high-risk weather period is not over yet. I want to encourage everyone in our community to stay informed and be ready to act if conditions change. What matters most right now is that we are prepared, informed and connected. Make sure you're getting your information from trusted sources. Download emergency warning apps, tune in to ABC Emergency or your local radio station and follow emergency service channels online. It's important to have access to critical, real-time information when it matters most. I encourage everyone to take just 15 minutes to make or update a household emergency recovery plan. Know what you'll do, where you'll go and how you'll stay in touch if you need to leave quickly. Don't forget to include your pets, important documents, medications and an emergency kit with the essentials.

Finally, please look out for one another, just as our community already does. Emergencies don't affect everyone in the same way, and a simple check-in with a neighbour, especially someone who may need the extra support, can really make a difference. Strong, connected communities are safer during emergencies and recover faster afterwards. Taking a few small steps now can help protect lives, reduce stress and keep our community safe when the next weather event arrives.

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