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. What support is the government giving to workers and their families and to businesses affected by the bushfires?

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. I know right now she is extremely concerned and is providing considerable support to her communities back home as they face these terrible bushfires. We are all aware that many small businesses and farms are the backbone of all of these communities that have been affected by the fires. So many of these businesses have been destroyed, so there are now many families with mortgages to pay that no longer have jobs. So, as well as the disaster payments, the government is providing additional financial assistance to support people who have lost their livelihoods. The Income Recovery Subsidy provides payments equivalent to the maximum rate of Newstart over 13 weeks. So far, payments totalling more than $641,000 have been made to 1,660 people.

I will share a story about just one of those people with the House. One of them is a tradesman who lost his work ute and all of his tools in the fire. He contacted Centrelink. He was understandably very distressed. He did not know how he was going to get his business up and running again. The Centrelink officer told him that he was eligible for the Income Recovery Subsidy and probably the disaster payment as well. The Centrelink officer put him in touch with Red Cross. The next day when he called back his subsidy payment was in his account, along with the disaster payment. The Red Cross had connected him with someone who was helping him replace his tools and his ute. He was very appreciative of the support of the Centrelink staff.

The Income Recovery Subsidy also extends to those who are not at their usual jobs. These people might be out lending a hand in fighting the fires or they might be helping people who are trying to recover from the fires. The Income Recovery Subsidy can also be paid to them.

I would also like to inform the House that today I approved the extension of the Income Recovery Subsidy to people in north-western Queensland, who have been struggling in the face of the floods caused by Tropical Cyclone Charlotte. These are important measures that the government is putting in place to make sure that people who are trying to get back on their feet and trying to get their businesses up and running can do so with the maximum level of support.