Senate debates

Tuesday, 22 November 2022

Bills

Emergency Response Fund Amendment (Disaster Ready Fund) Bill 2022; In Committee

8:51 pm

Photo of Murray WattMurray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

The short answer is that the work is still under discussion with state and local governments. I am aware that your government commenced two reviews of the DRFA, neither of which were completed by the time of the election, so that is work that we've picked up. To be honest we have decided to broaden that further, and we're in discussions with the states and territories about that at the moment. Having said that, where there are opportunities to streamline payments while we're doing that broader review, we're taking those opportunities, and we've made some changes to that effect already, not so much in the infrastructure space but in payments to individuals, small businesses and other groups—I think primary producers as well. That review I expect to be kicking off before too long. Certainly, as I say, we would like to think that building resilience into the system would be an outcome of that review, and it sounds like it's something that you've been a fan of as well.

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