Robert McClelland (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—Today the government tabled its response to the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry interim report. The Queensland floods were catastrophic on every level—but most significantly in the 34 people who lost their lives and the three people who remain missing. Obviously our thoughts remain with their families, friends and communities. These events were a tragedy not only for those families and communities and Queensland but for our nation. The floods brought enormous devastation to many communities across Queensland and caused billions of dollars of damage to property and infrastructure—damage that will inevitably take years to rebuild.

Since the floods struck, the Australian government has said it will stand by the people of Queensland to help them rebuild their lives and their communities, and that is happening. Overall, we are investing $4.7 billion in Queensland to help families, businesses and the community get back on their feet. The government has committed an extra $950 million for regions affected by tropical Cyclone Yasi. The Australian government provided over $840 million in disaster recovery payments and income recovery subsidies through Centrelink to help individuals and families cope through the floods and after Yasi hit, helping more than 735,000 Queenslanders in that difficult period.

We have made an advance payment of more than $2 billion to Queensland to provide an immediate boost to recovery and reconstruction efforts. The vast majority of this funding is being invested in repairing damage to essential infrastructure, such as road, bridges, schools and other public infrastructure that is so essential for life to return to normal.

With the Queensland government, we have also provided more than $477 million in ‘advance’ disaster payments to 56 councils across Queensland. This has been managed through the Queensland Reconstruction Authority. Funding from both governments for road repairs and reconstruction has been allocated across the state including:

Already 8,482 kilometres of the 9,170 kilometres of damaged state roads in Queensland have been reopened and 4,421 kilometres of Queensland rail infrastructure have already been rebuilt or recovered. This is great progress, but no-one is under any illusions about the magnitude of the job that still lies ahead.

While the government are supporting the rebuilding of communities across Queensland as quickly as possible, we are also ensuring funding is spent effectively and efficiently. We have done this by putting in place strong oversights through the Queensland Reconstruction Authority and the Australian Government Reconstruction Inspectorate. We are determined to work with the Queensland government and local communities to rebuild this great state.

While this reconstruction work continues across Queensland, the next wet season is quickly approaching. This is why acting on the commission’s interim report is so important. It makes recommendations about what can and should be done now, as far as is possible, to avoid the devastation of last year's events and should Queensland be unlucky enough to suffer through another severe wet season this summer.

The Commonwealth welcomes the commission’s findings and recommendations. They provide the opportunity to critically examine and improve the emergency management arrangements and capabilities not only for Queensland but for the entire nation. Of the commission’s 175 recommendations, eight are directed to the Commonwealth either in full or in part. A further 26 recommendations directed to the Queensland government and local councils also require Commonwealth involvement and assistance. The Commonwealth accepts all of the recommendations directed to it by the commission and will work closely with the Queensland government—and where necessary with other states and territories—to ensure those recommendations are implemented.

Most of the recommendations of relevance to the Commonwealth focus on forecasts and warnings issued by the Bureau of Meteorology. It is clear that effective warning systems are an essential part of any emergency management framework. The Bureau of Meteorology has a critical role to play in this by providing warnings about weather conditions and the potential for flooding. As recommended by the commission, the bureau will work closely with the Queensland government and local councils to improve information sharing during flood events and to improve arrangements for flash flood warnings including providing technical support to local councils for the establishment of appropriate river height and rainfall gauges. The Australian government has separately established a review of the bureau’s capacity to provide seasonal forecasting services and to respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters.

Other recommendations of relevance to the Commonwealth address the contribution of the Australian Defence Force to disaster planning and preparation as well as the Commonwealth’s involvement in community education. The Commonwealth plays an important role in helping Australian communities to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

We will continue to support the states and territories in their disaster planning and preparedness activities and are doing that this summer in a number of ways. Firstly, Emergency Management Australia undertakes annual pre-season briefings on disaster planning and preparations with state and territory emergency management agencies and we also plan to continue the practice of pre-positioning Emergency Management Australia liaison officers with state and territory emergency response agencies. This year’s briefings are scheduled to commence in October and will include presentations from the Australian Defence Force, Bureau of Meteorology and other Commonwealth agencies that have a key role in supporting states and territories during a crisis.

The Commonwealth will also ensure the Department of Health and Ageing continues to advise facilities of their responsibilities under the Aged Care Act 1997 with respect to prevention of harm and, specifically, evacuation plans for their residents. Facilities are required to have appropriate evacuation plans in place under the act. In upcoming facility visits, the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency will ensure high priority continues to be given to inspections of the arrangements that homes have in place to manage emergency events including evacuations should they be the subject of a natural disaster.

On behalf of the Australian government, I would like to commend the commission for its efforts and for delivering its Interim report within such a demanding time frame. It is an impressive feat given the sheer scope of the event and the evidence put before it. The government will continue to cooperate with the commission as the next round of hearings commences and we look forward to receiving the commission’s final report in February of next year.

There is no completely foolproof way to floodproof Australia. We should be preparing communities to be prepared and to be capable of dealing with natural disasters when they occur, and the Australian government will continue to work in partnership with all levels of government and communities to reduce the risk of future devastating floods as we saw in Queensland and across the country this year.

I thank the House. I also present a copy of the Commonwealth response to the Interim report of the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry and a copy of my ministerial statement. I move:

That the House take note of the documents.

I also ask leave of the House to move a motion to enable the member for Stirling to speak for nine minutes.

Leave granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent Mr Keenan speaking for a period not exceeding nine minutes.

Question agreed to.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In acknowledging the government's response to the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry Interim report, the coalition joins the government in extending the parliament's condolences and sympathies to the families and communities who endured horrific tragedy and loss last summer. Those 34 lives lost represent an unfulfilled future. Every one of those lives would have been important to many others as a father, a mother or other family member, or as a friend, and they all would have left large holes in the lives of people they left behind. The pain and loss would also be ongoing for families of the three people who remain missing, and not knowing the fate of loved ones would continue to haunt them. We acknowledge too that for many that suffering continues long after the skies have cleared and floodwaters have receded.

It is appropriate too, in reflecting upon the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry Interim report, to once again take the opportunity to recognise those who made deep sacrifices to assist others in those extraordinary days and weeks. We recognise the professionalism of those in uniform: State Emergency Service volunteers, police, fire and paramedics, the men and women of the Australian Defence Force, helicopter rescue pilots and those responsible for the countless acts of generosity, heroism, charity and kindness that did not feature on our television screens. We acknowledge too the leadership shown by the then Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Campbell Newman, and the Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh.

We remember the announcement of the Prime Minister on Australia Day with flood victims in Toowoomba, that she would introduce a National Emergency Medal to recognise the heroes of that summer and those of the Victorian bushfires. This is a promise that the opposition looks forward to the Prime Minister keeping.

The Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry Interim report was the product of public hearings held in Brisbane, Toowoomba, Dalby, Goondiwindi, St George, Ipswich, Rockhampton and Emerald. The commission heard testimony from 167 witnesses, and met with communities, including Murphys Creek and Grantham. The focus of the Interim report was upon matters related to preparedness for the next storm and flood season, which is nearly upon us. The commission's final report is expected in late February next year. It is understood that this report will deal with other issues, including the vexed issue of property insurance.

We are now halfway through September. Communities around Australia are already preparing for the hazards of the season ahead, be they the risk of bushfire, floods, cyclone or severe storms. As communities prepare, so too must governments. The Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry Interim report was timely and presented the Queensland government with many ways it can better deal with disasters of this nature in seasons to come. At a Commonwealth level, as the Attorney has mentioned, there is important work to be done by the Bureau of Meteorology, Emergency Management Australia and the Australian Defence Force, among others.

Preventing, preparing for, responding to and recovering from natural disasters has always been the collaborative responsibility of the Commonwealth, state, territory and local governments. Much has been learned, at all levels of government, from last summer. The Attorney-General was correct when he said that we cannot completely floodproof Australia. We in Australia have always been subject to the harshest elements of nature. Our harsh and unforgiving environment has done much to shape our national character and instil within us resilience as a people. The disasters of last summer were catastrophic on every level. But, as catastrophic as they were, the response of Queenslanders was courageous and inspiring and we salute them for their resilience in the face of nature's terrible fury.

Debate adjourned.