Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Cowan for bringing this most worthy motion to the House; to acknowledge and reflect on the worst floods in a century that have hit Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia, following rainfall which started on 13 May. Thousands of people have been affected, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Serbia.

Like the member for Cowan, I also received a quick response from the foreign minister, who has expressed the government's condolences at the unprecedented flooding, especially to the families who have lost loved ones. Minister Bishop has written directly to representatives of the Serbian and Bosnian governments. I note also that DFAT has met with officials from the affected countries to discuss the impact of the floods, the response to date and likely future needs. The thoughts of all Australians, including those of Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian heritage, are with the affected communities.

As someone who was born in the former Yugoslavia, I know firsthand that family and friends in Australia will feel this disaster very deeply indeed. Villages have been wiped out by over 2,000 landslides. There have been over 60 deaths, and thousands of people have been evacuated from affected areas. Undiscovered landmines from the war in the 1990s are being moved by flood waters and mudslides, including the risk to civilian populations.

I am pleased to report that Australia's core funding to key international organisations involved in the flood response is being used to help those in need. That includes the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs—UNOCHA—and the World Food Program. Australia supports and enables these agencies to deploy experts and resources quickly, to assist with responses such as these. We should not be making politics about this event; we should be reflecting on the fact that our contribution does indeed make a difference when it comes to humanitarian need and disaster in our near region and beyond.

Australia's support to UNOCHA helps the rapid deployment of UNDAC teams—UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination teams. And I note that an UNDAC team has been sent to Serbia to assist with the coordination of the response and assessment of needs. Australia is also a top-10 donor to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, which releases humanitarian assistance quickly in disasters like these. Australia's core funding to the World Food Program has enabled the dispatch of boats, generators and logistic support. A number of other UN agencies that Australia provides core support to, such as the UN Children's Fund and the UN Development Program, are also involved in the response. This government does take humanitarian response and support to these global agencies very seriously. Humanitarian funding will increase from $264 million this year to more than $338 million in 2014-15. Like the member for Cowan, I note the good work of the Australian Embassy in Belgrade in donating thousands of dollars worth of medical supplies locally.

Other support has also been quickly initiated through the European Union's civil protection mechanism, which has been activated upon the request of Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Over 20 EU member states offered assistance like motorboats, helicopters, pumps and humanitarian kits and deployed over 400 relief workers to the two countries. The European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre is in constant contact with Serbia and with the participating states in the EU civil protection mechanism, matching the incoming offers for assistance with needs on the ground.

Australia continues to monitor the situation closely through our partners, including the EU, the UN and the Red Cross societies. In addition, Australia's representatives to Bosnia have visited the site and held discussions with key responders on the ground and will identify if there are further local needs that could be addressed through Australia's direct aid program.

Let me conclude with a message for those in flood affected areas. U Srbiji I regionu Balkana, su od poplava stradali ljudi isti kao svi mi. Izgubili su u katastrofalnim poplavama sve sto su generacijama stvarali. Tim ljudima je potrebna nasa pomoc. Ja iskreno verujem u humanost i solidarnost. Zemlja u kojoj sam roden—neophodna je nasa pomoc.

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