Warren Entsch (Leichhardt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Attorney-General. Would the Attorney-General update the House on the government’s role in the recovery effort in North Queensland following the severe Tropical Cyclone Larry?

Philip Ruddock (Berowra, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

First, may I just say to the member for Leichhardt how deeply I, and I know all of his colleagues, feel for him and his colleagues in adjoining seats whose constituents have suffered so disastrously as a result of Cyclone Larry. As it was a category 5 event, we knew to expect the worst of this tropical cyclone as it struck North Queensland exactly a week ago. We now know that our worst fears were very much realised when we saw the outcome. The scenes of devastation in places like Innisfail, Babinda and surrounding regions have been unimaginable to those of us who have not lived through or experienced a cyclone. The government’s response to this disaster, through Emergency Management Australia, has been immediate and comprehensive. Within hours of the cyclone crossing the coast, EMA had organised the Commonwealth Counter-Disaster Task Force to meet and to deal with requests for assistance from the Queensland government.

This reflects, of course, the major strength of our well-tried and tested cross-jurisdictional emergency management arrangements. It recognises that operational decisions are best made at a state level by state authorities who are in a position to assess priorities of need on the ground and then, through EMA, the Commonwealth can respond quickly and effectively to requests for assistance and coordination across all government agencies. To date, 35 formal requests have been received and acted upon, involving 11 government agencies. This cooperation has ensured that food and water, tarpaulins, showers, sanitation equipment, generators, satellite imagery and—members might be surprised—even milking machines have been provided to assist in the recovery effort. There are now over 400 defence personnel in North Queensland working closely with the state and federal agencies to help the devastated communities as they begin the process of rebuilding their homes, their businesses and their lives. I would like to thank my colleague the Minister for Defence for the cooperation of the troops. Perhaps he will convey our collective thanks to them for the tasks that they are undertaking.

All agencies involved have been exemplary in responding to this disaster and in helping the communities to get back on their feet in what are very difficult and trying circumstances. I know that with the leadership and the expertise of our former Chief of Defence, Peter Cosgrove, the people of Far North Queensland will benefit considerably. We stand ready to assist. We will continue to provide, where possible, whatever further assistance we can reasonably provide to assist the people of North Queensland.