Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lingiari for her question, and I thank her, the member for Solomon, the member for Leichhardt and, in the other place, the Minister for Indigenous Australians for their commitment to keeping communities informed and safe in what has been an incredibly difficult period in the north, with floods and cyclones. I also want to acknowledge our emergency services workers—from the SES to health workers, from first responders to our defence personnel—and spontaneous volunteers who have been working incredibly hard in extremely tough conditions.

Last Thursday, we held two National Coordination Mechanism meetings for Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle to provide situational awareness on the weather impacts and ensure preparedness across government and agencies. NEMA activated the national Crisis Coordination Team to assist with planning for, and coordination of, the Australian government's response. We've had NEMA officials embedded in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia to provide support during these events, and we've been working really closely with the Northern Territory and Queensland governments to enact a range of assistance packages.

In the Northern Territory, we've activated support in 20 local government areas, with personal hardship assistance available in nine local government areas and three unincorporated areas. This is in addition to the Australian government disaster recovery payment being activated in a number of areas, including Katherine, Daly River and Palumpa. We've had ADF personnel on the ground in Katherine for clean-up support as well as helping with the evacuation of hundreds of people from Numbulwar to Darwin. We also have an AUSMAT field hospital which has been set up in East Katherine to assist with transfers from Katherine District Hospital.

In Queensland, we have jointly activated disaster recovery funding arrangements in 61 local government areas. Long-term recovery will be strengthened by a suite of additional support packages worth over $107 million, funded jointly by the Albanese and Crisafulli governments. This builds on the more than $66 million in measures already announced in response to the Queensland monsoon trough, Cyclone Koji and severe weather events that commenced on 24 December last year.

This morning in the National Situation Room, I received a further updated brief, and today Tropical Cyclone Narelle will make its way down the WA coast as a severe category 3, with wind gusts up to 185 kilometres an hour. It may strengthen to a category 4 before it impacts the far western Pilbara coast tonight. People should stay vigilant, as conditions will change quickly. Follow flood advice warnings, be prepared to enact your emergency plan and ensure your emergency kit has everything you need, including food supplies, spare batteries and important documents. I've been in contact with my WA counterpart, Minister Papalia in the WA government, and offered the Albanese government's support and assistance.

Disaster recovery is a long and challenging road, but the Albanese government is here for the long term and will continue to work with all the states and territories as we move from response to recovery this high-risk weather season.

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