Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to thank the member for her question on an important local issue. It was certainly a devastating storm that occurred in South Australia. Our thoughts are with the people in your community and, more broadly, the people affected across South Australia. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the emergency service crews throughout South Australia for the work they did in assisting people in their time of need.

The Australian government has worked very closely with local state authorities in South Australia to help provide assistance to individuals, families and local councils who have been impacted by the storms across the state. That does include financial assistance for local councils, which will assist in the repairing of eligible infrastructure such as roads, as the member indicated—roads damaged as a direct result of the storms and returning them to their predisaster standard. Of course, I would be very happy to meet with the local member, at some stage in the future, to discuss some civic infrastructure issues in her local community.

I would note that through the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements, which have been made available to assist local councils, such as the Adelaide Hills, Alexandrina and the Barossa, the federal government is assisting with removal of debris from residential properties to make them safe and habitable, some personal and financial counselling, counterdisaster operations and the restoration of essential public assets.

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