Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Emergency Management. Today's declaration of catastrophic fire danger weather in Queensland is a sobering reminder that the high-risk weather season has commenced. What is the Albanese Labor Government doing to prepare for the summer ahead?

Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Macquarie for her question. I think many in this House will be aware that her community has been more or less relentlessly hit by natural disaster for the time she's been at this parliament. She and her family also lost their own home to natural disaster, and she's chosen to take that tragedy and come here to parliament, in part to represent communities around this country who experience these great losses. I just want to say what a privilege it is to work with her.

Last month the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council, the national council for fire and emergency services, released their Seasonal bushfire outlook for spring, which indicates a higher-than-average level of risk for the Northern Territory, Queensland and northern New South Wales as well as areas of south-east New South Wales and eastern Victoria and along the Victorian and South Australian border. We know that many of the areas of heightened fire risk are the same communities that have been impacted by significant floods over the last two years, and we also know that, for many of these communities, this will be the first significant fire season since the devastating fires of 2019 and 2020.

The Black Summer fires were a pivotal event for our country. To see such significant and tragic loss of life, to see Australians huddled on beaches in the darkness during the middle of the day, to see our major capital cities shrouded in thick black smoke—these are things that most Australians will never forget. As a government, it's our job to make sure that we do everything we can to prepare properly for the forthcoming fire season. To that end Minister Watt has been convening the National Emergency Management Ministers' Meeting, and last week they received a briefing on the long-term forecast for this season, which tells us that, because of the weather patterns, there is not only increased risk of bushfires but also increased chance of heatwaves and cyclones. All federal, state and territory ministers who are engaged in this task endorse the second national action plan on disaster risk reduction, and this is part of the Albanese government's national commitment to driving down natural disaster risk and building resilience.

It is very obvious that climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of natural hazards and disasters. As a government we're not going to sit on our hands, and that's why we are taking such significant action on climate change under the leadership of the Prime Minister and the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. It's not just about this summer or the next. The weather in our country is changing, severe bushfires will come more common and we have to respond to that as a country. Through the National Emergency Management Agency we are working closely with states and territories to make sure we've got plans for this, and NEMA's preparedness measures include a summit which will bring together 250 experts in this field to assist this government in this very important national endeavour. Our attitude is that we hope for the best but we always have to prepare for the worst.