Jim Lloyd (Robertson, Liberal Party, Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for La Trobe. The region that he represents has suffered from bushfires over many years, with not only the loss of property but the tragic loss of life in the Ash Wednesday fires and in other bushfires. I am informed that already the Dandenong national park is a tinderbox. As in many regions throughout Australia, the fire risk will be extreme in the coming fire season.

Without a doubt, Australia is facing one of its most serious bushfire seasons for many years. The Australian government stands ready to respond to this threat with more than $30 million in disaster mitigation funding in this year alone. Included in this funding is some $15 million over three years for the Bushfire Mitigation Program, a very important program which enables the construction, upgrading and signposting of fire trails, something that is very important to the thousands of volunteers who are out there fighting bushfires and protecting lives and property. Without those bushfire trails, those volunteers could be placed at risk and they could not have access to those fires. To date, some 1,644 projects have been funded under this program.

I want to pay tribute to the thousands of men and women who volunteer their time every single summer to protect the lives and properties of people around Australia from bushfires. To further assist those volunteers in the protection of lives and property, the Howard government is also providing some $5.5 million towards the National Aerial Firefighting Centre to ensure that once again this summer we will see sky cranes like Elvis and many fixed-wing aircraft available and ready to respond immediately to fire emergencies throughout this country.

Each and every one of us has a responsibility to prepare our homes and property against bushfire threat. I am very pleased that the Attorney-General and his department have provided some $2 million for a national awareness campaign and already this information is being broadcast nationwide. In conclusion: the Howard government will continue to assist communities around Australia in their relentless fight against the bushfire menace this summer and in years to come.

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