Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Will the minister update the House on the Australian government’s response to the Victorian bushfires and any steps for rebuilding?

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Ballarat for her question and, through her, I thank the people of Ballarat for their enormous contribution. Many of the areas around the electorate of the member for Ballarat have been threatened by fire, and if she could thank those people on behalf of the House we would appreciate that. It is the case that, even though we are now two weeks from the 7 February fires, Victoria remains on bushfire alert. While the rest of the nation was mourning yesterday, many firefighters were out doing their very important tasks, and, once again, today they are battling extreme weather conditions.

Even though the fire threat continues, what is positive is that the rebuilding has begun. As the member for McEwen has so eloquently said to us all here today, that is exactly what people want to do. Even though it is a massive task they have in front of them, let me just say to the member for McEwen, the member for McMillan, the member for Bendigo—all those who have been so devastated by these fires—that so many of the people I have met over the last couple of weeks have said to me clearly that they want to rebuild their own homes and they want to rebuild their communities.

If I can inform and update the House: the Australian government and the Victorian government today have made a very significant step forward to assist individuals and families, businesses and communities to do that. One very important step that we have announced today is that, together, the Australian government and the Victorian government will fund and deliver a site clean-up and demolition program that is crucial to rebuilding the lives of individuals and communities. It is also vital for public health and safety. We have all seen the horror of the wreckage: the corrugated iron, the dangerous trees and the mounds of ash and glass. We have been informed that there are many places where there are dangerous chimneys and trees, asbestos and other contamination. All of this needs to be dealt with quickly but it does have to be dealt with safely. It is also important for people to be able to deal with the emotional confrontation of what they have faced over the last two weeks, because it is only when this clean-up is done that people will be able start rebuilding the bricks and mortar of their lives.

The demolition program is expected to run for approximately six months, and I think that gives us some idea of the dimension of what we face. There are key steps that need to be followed in this demolition program and the clean-up that follows. First and foremost, we still have a major coronial period of time in front of us, so people will not be able to begin the clean-up until the coroner and the police give their permission, and I think everybody understands that. Sites will then be assessed for safety and hazards will be removed. But I think what is very important to say to everybody is that everyone’s constituents in the fire-affected areas need to know that time will be given to people to go onto their sites to retrieve any remaining items that may have escaped the inferno, and that will be a very important time for people. Then the sites will be cleared by licensed contractors. Can I just say to anybody who is affected that this is an entirely voluntary offer by both the federal and the state governments. If people want to organise this themselves, they can and it will be paid for by the federal and state governments together, but this is a way of enabling it to happen quickly and in a safe manner.

Let me say, particularly in response to a concern raised by the member for McEwen and by many people I have spoken to, that even though this will be organised by the Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority with a project manager that they will appoint, local contractors will be employed, because we do understand just how important it is to make sure that local people have the opportunity for work. They will need to be licensed contractors because many of the materials they will be removing are dangerous. We will be advised very shortly of the person who will be appointed by Major General Cantwell to the reconstruction and recovery authority. As I said before, all costs from this clean-up and demolition will be met by the federal and state governments. That will not depend on whether or not anybody has insurance. We think this is one very important way in which we can help people begin this critical process of reconstruction and recovery.