Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

Australia is a vast continent which, habitually, experiences significant natural disasters such as bushfires, droughts, floods, cyclones and hail events. Evidence suggests that as our climate changes, so do the frequency and intensity of these events, bringing with them an imperative on our part to better prepare ourselves as one thing is certain: we are only moments away from the next disaster event.

This bill, the Emergency Response Fund Amendment (Disaster Ready Fund) Bill 2022, is an important and vital step in the right direction. Natural disaster resilience and risk reduction are logical and pragmatic approaches for us to take and are things that we cannot do too soon.

I've recalled the natural disaster experiences of my electorate on many occasions in this place and recently spoke of events occurring around the country. Everyone can remember the horrific summer bushfires of 2019-20. My community experienced firsthand the devastation of intense and fast-moving fires across the Adelaide Hills and Kangaroo Island.

Kangaroo Island saw the largest fire that the island had ever recorded. The fire burnt more vegetation than any other fire, at any time. The fires started on 20 December 2019 and were finally declared under control on 21 January 2020. The carnage from this event was significant. Two people lost their lives. The homes of 56 people were destroyed, along with hundreds of other buildings, including a large ecotourism facility that was damaged. Twenty-three firefighters were injured and two CFS fire trucks were damaged. The fires burnt 211,000 hectares—almost half of the island—and burnt through one of the most important ecological sites, the Flinders Chase National Park. This park is home to the endangered Kangaroo Island dunnart and the glossy black-cockatoo. The fires killed an estimated 25,000 koalas on Kangaroo Island and destroyed the habitats of numerous other animals.

In the Adelaide Hills, also on 20 December, we experienced a major fire that started at Cudlee Creek. The fire spread rapidly throughout the townships of Mount Pleasant, Springton, Palmer, Mount Torrens, Harrogate, Inglewood, Gumeracha, Lobethal and Woodside. The fire went on to burn 23,000 hectares and resulted in the death of an elderly man and the destruction of 84 homes, more than 400 outbuildings and 292 vehicles.

I've got to say, in a rural community, losing your outbuildings is nearly as bad as losing your home, because your outbuildings are how you collect all of your rainwater, and if you lose your rainwater tanks, you just can't live there. I think sometimes people in the city don't realise that when your electricity goes off in a rural community, so does your water. If you lose that infrastructure, you lose your ability to live in that home, even if the home is still standing.

In the lead-up to these fires, South Australia had experienced dangerous fire conditions with strong winds, low humidity and high temperatures for several days. Nearly the entire state recorded its highest level of accumulated Forest Fire Danger Index for December. On 20 December, the conditions were horrendous. The state had already sweltered through four days of extreme heat. A temperature of 49.9 degrees was felt on the western side of our state and it was 43.9 degrees in Adelaide. More than 200 bushfires started that day, requiring more than 1,500 firefighters to respond. Thirty-one firefighters and two police officers were injured.

While we hope these events are never repeated, they will unfortunately and inevitably challenge us again. I'd just like to say: I heard many of the speeches with respect to this bill yesterday, and I was really disappointed at how many speeches were saying really quite negative things about the previous government and the actions of the previous government. I have to say, during those fires, the former Prime Minister visited both the Adelaide Hills and Kangaroo Island. Senator McKenzie and the member for Maranoa, who were both ministers at the time, also gave support. For the long period of recovery time after the fires had gone out, all those people were only a phone call away to support my community. I would like to mention that, while the whole of the nation was on fire, it was an extraordinarily difficult job for the government of the day. I'd also like to give a shout-out to BlazeAid because BlazeAid came into my community. People who didn't even live in Mayo or South Australia stayed for months and months and helped us rebuild our fences and our lives.

Talking about the future, we know that the best defence is to prepare and reduce risk. In August I spoke to the Climate Change Bill and referenced the catastrophic flooding occurring on many parts of the east coast. At that time around $5.3 billion in claims had been lodged, according to the Insurance Council of Australia. Just weeks later again we saw flooding across much of the east coast, and that is now spreading across much of our regional centres.

Multiple La Nina cycles have resulted in successive waves of heavy rainfall events. It seems to be a daily occurrence that we're listening to this on the news. The impact of these events isn't restricted to those living in the affected regions. Hundreds of homes have been damaged, adding to the already stretched construction sector and this will be felt across much of our nation. Our vast food bowl, which all Australians rely on for fresh food, has experienced substantial temporary destruction, further adding to the cost-of-living pressures.

It's unclear from the bill how the $200 million per annum will be allocated for natural disaster resilience and risk reduction. I'm pleased that the government has moved from a reactionary to a preparatory footing. This bill is a start. Of course, I support it. I say to members who are experiencing flooding in their electorate now that the hearts of those in my community go out to your communities. I have the end of the River Murray in my electorate and I know that many in South Australia are beginning to hold their breath as we see the River Murray waters continue further downstream. I commend this bill to the House.

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