Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence, I would like to take a moment to update the House on recent bushfires in Queensland. On behalf of all Australians our thoughts are with the people of Queensland who are dealing with yet another bushfire. I am advised that family homes have been lost—though only two—amongst other personal and commercial property losses. In addition, hundreds of homes have already been threatened by flames within metres of their fence lines.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Tuckey interjecting

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I would hope that the House, including the member for O’Connor, would not seek to intervene on a matter concerning bushfires in Queensland, on which I have sought indulgence.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for O’Connor.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

More than 10,500 hectares have been burnt. I thank the member for Capricornia and others for their comments and would like to reiterate her praise for emergency services workers and volunteers in that part of Queensland. I would also like to acknowledge the work of the Queensland Emergency Services workers as well as the assistance provided to Queensland by the New South Wales rural fire and ambulance services.

At the Commonwealth level, Emergency Management Australia is continuing to work with Queensland authorities to ensure all necessary assistance required from the Commonwealth is provided. Yesterday, the Attorney-General announced that Commonwealth financial assistance would be provided to communities affected by the bushfires via the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements, the NDRRA. This includes emergency assistance payments, essential household contents grants, essential repairs to housing grants, concessional loans of up to $250,000 to eligible primary produces, freight subsidies of up to $5,000 to assist with the transport of livestock fodder or water and building or fencing equipment or machinery.

The Commonwealth will continue to work closely with Queensland government authorities, with local governments and with community organisations to ensure that affected communities have all the support that they need. The government has been in constant contact with the Queensland government and the Commonwealth stands ready to support Queensland, however necessary.

This is of course the start of what will be a long and challenging bushfire season for the nation. Before coming to question time I spoke this morning with Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, who in recent times has been inspecting the affected area. She has alerted me to the fact that those working in the area have been working for a long period of time. Our bushfire fighters and emergency services workers are exhausted and tired. This has been a very long fight for them all. Therefore, I again particularly commend the offer of practical assistance from the New South Wales government to see to the provision of addition fire fighters from that state.

The Queensland Premier’s message to the nation is that we should all remain vigilant about how this fire unfolds in the future, particularly in terms of any adverse change in weather conditions. As the experience in Victoria in February this year demonstrated, Australian bushfires are capable of creating catastrophic loss and devastation. This fire season we have already seen the death of a volunteer fire fighter in New South Wales and we in this House, of course, send our condolences to his family.

The Attorney-General made a ministerial statement on Tuesday outlining the work being undertaken by the Commonwealth in preparing for the forthcoming bushfire season. I would urge all Australians to make sure they are fully prepared for the challenges that will be alive during this bushfire season.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on indulgence, the opposition joins the Prime Minister in extending the House’s condolences to the family of the bushfire fighter who has died. We welcome the commitment of the Commonwealth and state and local governments in responding to the fires in Queensland. We join with the government in admiration and commendation of the hard work and courage of the many volunteers and professional firefighters who are battling these fires and we express our admiration for the resilience and the fortitude of the communities affected, to whom go our best wishes and our prayers in these very challenging times.