Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you to the outstanding member for Bendigo for her question. We were talking this morning about how, at its peak, every highway into Bendigo was cut. There were 250 people being housed temporarily at the showgrounds. The ADF helped with the clean-up at Heathcote. They were able to save the poultry farm there but not, unfortunately, the wheat, canola and hay crops. She was telling me as well how Bendigo Senior Secondary School is hosting Rochester primary and secondary schools. I think that is an indication of the way that Australians look out for each other and look after each other in the toughest of times, and they've got a wonderful local member in the member for Bendigo.

As the Prime Minister knows, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister Watt, Senator Sheldon and a whole range of colleagues on this side and on that side of the House, since this House last met, have been visiting flood affected areas, and thousands of Australians and communities up and down the east coast have been hit by damaging and devastating flooding, especially in New South Wales and Victoria, but Tassie, Queensland and South Australia have had some heavy weather in recent days as well. We're now all too familiar with what this means: homes wrecked, businesses shut, infrastructure damaged and, most tragically, lives taken—something like 10 in New South Wales and Victoria alone, including one body recovered on the weekend. I know the thoughts of all of us in this place are with these communities right now. We are seeing people tested and pushed to the brink, but we are seeing the best of the Australian character in times like these. In every affected community, people are showing up for each other in this time of need and being there for each other, and their government is there for them as well.

Our immediate support to individuals includes the one-off disaster recovery payment—$1,000 for adults and $400 for children. These are currently available to 46 local government areas. The disaster recovery allowance, which provides up to 13 weeks income support, has been activated for 150 local government areas. So far, more than $55 million in direct financial assistance has been provided for more than 47,000 claims across New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, and, as the House knows, we also provisioned something like $3 billion in the budget in October to help communities with the recovery.

This is first and foremost a human tragedy, but it does have economic consequences as well, with pressure on our supply chains and pressure on the price of groceries, and it will have an impact on economic growth in the near term as well. These economic and budget considerations are substantial, but they are secondary to helping people through these difficult times. And so I say to people in flood affected communities: your government will be there for you; you are not on your own. Communities will need to rebuild, the bill will be substantial, and the federal government will play its part and pay its share.

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