Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the . Will the minister outline to the House the Morrison-McCormack government's stable approach to addressing the real issue of supporting those communities tragically affected by bushfires?

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I thank the member for Page for his question and his leadership during these recent fires that were quite severe in his own electorate—and the leadership of all federal members of both sides. Every state has been impacted by these recent fires, and there has been leadership from all members in coming together, with our state agencies, and making sure that we collectively work together. As those fires abate, we're now working into the recovery phase. The federal government initiated, from the very start, while even some of those fires were still going, our Disaster Recovery Payments. They are $1,000 per adult and $400 per child. They're about providing the essentials to these people that have been impacted by these fires to get them through the here and now. Obviously, we'll continue to make further investments in the recovery. That now continues as agencies are able to safely get in and make those assessments.

On Sunday, the New South Wales premier and I made a further announcement of an additional $48.25 million for those affected by the fires in New South Wales, and that provides $15,000 grants to small businesses and to farmers to help them. Also, a very important component of that is the $4 million towards mental health packages. This is about not only the physical recovery but the emotional recovery that we now have to work through. We're also allowing up to 13 weeks worth of income support to those people whose income has been impacted by these fires, and the ATO is making provisions to allow those people that have to provide BAS and tax returns some concessions around the timeliness of providing them. We'll continue to work with other states as they make assessments and provide them to us and make sure that it's done in a timely fashion.

I think it's also important that I take the opportunity to update the House. There's been considerable commentary about our preparedness, and I can say with great authority that Australians should have great comfort in the professionalism of our fire commissioners around the country. We have a nationally coordinated approach, particularly around aerial assets. AFAC, who are the peak body that all fire chiefs from around the report to, only in the last two weeks advised me, after I wrote to them, that at the moment we have suitable aerial assets in this country to face the fire threat that this country has at the moment. It will continue to be monitored, and we will continue to act with the states and AFAC on their advice—not on politicians' or anyone else's advice but AFAC's advice. As they provide that advice, we will act and act swiftly to make sure that there are suitable assets to keep Australians safe during this prolonged fire season. But we can be comforted that their advice many months ago was that we are prepared, and we continue to be so. We thank them for their professionalism. Australians should take comfort that all governments will stand with them to keep them safe this fire season.