Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

This House:

(1) recognises the tragedy of the floods in May that afflicted Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia, which killed more than 40 people;

(2) notes the:

(a) need for evacuation of large populations from both countries; and

(b) risk of undiscovered land mines from the war in the 1990s, being moved by flood waters and mudslides, increasing the risk to civilian populations; and

(3) commends the Australian Government for pre-positioning funds with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies through the Disaster Relief Emergency Funds to assist national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to respond quickly to situations such as this.

Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion.

Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the tragedy of the May floods in Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia. I know that in Cowan there are many of Serbian and Bosnian descent. While in fairly recent history they have been plagued by war, Serbia and Bosnia are now both victims of the natural disaster of floods. These floods have been the worst in centuries. Although the waters have now receded, more than 60 people lost their lives. In Bosnia, it was stated that one million had been impacted by the floods. In Serbia, hundreds of thousands were also affected because of the large rises in the Sava River, which runs through Belgrade.

I understand that the floods have caused more than 2,000 landslides. Villages have been wiped out and it is also known that landmines left over from the war have been found, and pose yet another risk. These events have happened far from Australia but the impact is also felt here. There are many Australians of Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian heritage. I know of their great sorrow over this calamity.

Yet from such heartache there comes great resolve, and I know that hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised by the communities in Australia to support those in need. In Perth, this is the case. On Saturday, 7 June, in one night the Serbian community collected $60,000. As of 9 June just the Perth Serbian community collected $145,000 for Serbian flood relief. I congratulate the community president Father Sasa Stojanovic and the acting President, Mr Milan Jelesic, and their community for their great work.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank the Bosnian community in Perth. They, too, have been hard at work raising money for flood victims. The community president is Mr Muhamed Merdjanic. Together with his committee and the community as a whole, he has raised $13,405 dollars.

On the government side, I know I got a very quick response from the Minister for Foreign Affairs when I contacted her about the situation. I am grateful that, later, on 26 May, Minister Bishop issued a press release expressing the condolences of the Australian government to those impacted, especially to the families who had suffered a loss of family members. The minister contacted the Serbian and Bosnian governments as well.

Although we are on the other side of the world, Australia provides core funding to key international organisations involved in the flood response. Australia helps to finance the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Food Programme. Our core support enables these agencies to deploy experts and resources quickly to assist with responses such as these. That includes core funding for the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which is $9 million in 2013-14. That has helped to allow the deployment to Serbia of the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team. Also, Australia is a top 10 donor to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, which releases humanitarian assistance quickly in disasters such as these.

Australia is providing the World Food Program with $46 million in core funding in 2013-14 to assist their operations of deploying boats and generators to the floods. This government is increasing humanitarian funding from $264 million this year to more than $338 million in 2014-15. I understand the Australian embassy is donating thousands of dollars worth of medical supplies locally.

I know that the EU is providing coordinated assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which has been activated upon the request of Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina due to the severe flooding in the two countries. Over 20 EU member states offered assistance, such as motorboats, helicopters, pumps and humanitarian kits, and they deployed over 400 relief workers to the two countries. In addition, Australia's representatives to Bosnia have visited the site and will identify if there are further local needs that could be addressed by the Australian Direct Aid Program.

To conclude, I express my condolences to the families and friends of those who have suffered greatly in these floods. I also express my gratitude for the great efforts of the diasporas in Australia and the ongoing support of the Australian government. Just to conclude, I have had the good fortune to have visited Serbia twice, in 1985 and also last year. Also, I visited Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, last year. These countries have suffered greatly through the wars that have afflicted them in recent decades. It is such a tragedy to see the heartache that the natural disaster, on this occasion, revisited on those countries. It is good that they are well-supported by their diasporas in Australia. I congratulate them on those efforts.

Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Cowan for bringing this motion forward today. I also welcome in the gallery Mr Dinko Tomac, from the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The floods that struck the Balkans last month were truly devastating. At least 49 people lost their lives, while thousands were evacuated from their homes. Some were temporarily evacuated, while others are yet to return even to this day. The economic cost of recovery is estimated to be well into the billions of dollars. After talking to Mr Tomac a little earlier about Bosnia-Herzegovina, the price tag is about $1.5 billion. I know from the Serbian ambassador that the estimation is that $2.5 billion dollars of reconstruction is necessary there. They have seen much of their infrastructure—their roads, rail, electricity, water supply and sewerage reticulation—damaged, some beyond repair, as well as the devastation to the vital agricultural lands of those countries in the Balkans.

Large parts of Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia are facing a very long road to recovery. During my visit last year to Serbia, it was clear to me that the country and, as a matter of fact, the region were very much in the process of rebuilding after years of civil conflict and economic uncertainty. The floods have now made this road a very long and arduous one.

As a First World nation, we know the difficulty of rebuilding following extensive national disasters—for instance, the Queensland floods. We know the pain that is borne by the people and the economic cost that is borne by a nation. Therefore, we know that recovery tasks, in relation to the Balkans, are almost impossible for a small nation to bear by themselves.

Much of the world has lent support during and following the Balkans disaster. Many people with heritage from the region live in my electorate. Fowler has a very large enclave of people from Bosnia, from Serbia and also from Croatia. I have attended a number of fundraising functions recently. The Serbian community in Australia has now raised about $1.5 million over the last month. I attended the Serbian flood appeal at Bonnyrigg Sports Club last Monday. The rain did not deter the hundreds of people who turned up and they raised over $200,000 on that day. Bonnyrigg Sports Club has been a primary meeting place for the local Serb community and it is no surprise that it is taking a leading role in the fundraising efforts. Club president, Ned Bogicevic, and general manager, Jason Woods, together with hardworking board members such as John Pavasovich, have all taken a leading role in the relief for flood victims. I also took part in the humanitarian concert organised by the leaders of the Serbian community, including Stan Jankovic. The concert was held in the Serbian culture club in Middleton Grange and was a great success.

While individuals and communities across Australia and around the world have come together to provide assistance during these devastating floods, Australia's reputation as a generous and compassionate nation is under question at the moment. This government's decision to cut $7.6 billion from our foreign aid budget is preventing Australia from contributing to the aid effort in relation to this situation. While countries much less fortunate are lending a supporting hand, Australia has failed to contribute one cent towards the flood relief efforts in Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia. Those opposite, clearly embarrassed by the lack of contribution and action, repeatedly draw our attention to Australia's contribution to global organisations such as the United Nations and the International Red Cross. Those contributions are the minimum for a First World nation like Australia. Once these donations trickle down through the large and wide-reaching international organisations, it is likely that no significant assistance will flow directly to the people of Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia.

Australia has had its fair share of natural disasters. We know how difficult it is to deal with natural disasters—both during them and in the aftermath. Australia is a wealthy country and, more importantly, we are a nation with considerable experience in disaster relief efforts, as well as engineering flood mitigation measures to protect affected communities. We should not be turning our backs on these countries affected by an unprecedented natural disaster. We are a wealthy country. We are a country that cares and we should always remember the contributions that Serbians, Bosnians and the Croatians have played in contributing to the modern face of Australia.

Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Cowan for bringing this most worthy motion to the House; to acknowledge and reflect on the worst floods in a century that have hit Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia, following rainfall which started on 13 May. Thousands of people have been affected, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Serbia.

Like the member for Cowan, I also received a quick response from the foreign minister, who has expressed the government's condolences at the unprecedented flooding, especially to the families who have lost loved ones. Minister Bishop has written directly to representatives of the Serbian and Bosnian governments. I note also that DFAT has met with officials from the affected countries to discuss the impact of the floods, the response to date and likely future needs. The thoughts of all Australians, including those of Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian heritage, are with the affected communities.

As someone who was born in the former Yugoslavia, I know firsthand that family and friends in Australia will feel this disaster very deeply indeed. Villages have been wiped out by over 2,000 landslides. There have been over 60 deaths, and thousands of people have been evacuated from affected areas. Undiscovered landmines from the war in the 1990s are being moved by flood waters and mudslides, including the risk to civilian populations.

I am pleased to report that Australia's core funding to key international organisations involved in the flood response is being used to help those in need. That includes the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs—UNOCHA—and the World Food Program. Australia supports and enables these agencies to deploy experts and resources quickly, to assist with responses such as these. We should not be making politics about this event; we should be reflecting on the fact that our contribution does indeed make a difference when it comes to humanitarian need and disaster in our near region and beyond.

Australia's support to UNOCHA helps the rapid deployment of UNDAC teams—UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination teams. And I note that an UNDAC team has been sent to Serbia to assist with the coordination of the response and assessment of needs. Australia is also a top-10 donor to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, which releases humanitarian assistance quickly in disasters like these. Australia's core funding to the World Food Program has enabled the dispatch of boats, generators and logistic support. A number of other UN agencies that Australia provides core support to, such as the UN Children's Fund and the UN Development Program, are also involved in the response. This government does take humanitarian response and support to these global agencies very seriously. Humanitarian funding will increase from $264 million this year to more than $338 million in 2014-15. Like the member for Cowan, I note the good work of the Australian Embassy in Belgrade in donating thousands of dollars worth of medical supplies locally.

Other support has also been quickly initiated through the European Union's civil protection mechanism, which has been activated upon the request of Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Over 20 EU member states offered assistance like motorboats, helicopters, pumps and humanitarian kits and deployed over 400 relief workers to the two countries. The European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre is in constant contact with Serbia and with the participating states in the EU civil protection mechanism, matching the incoming offers for assistance with needs on the ground.

Australia continues to monitor the situation closely through our partners, including the EU, the UN and the Red Cross societies. In addition, Australia's representatives to Bosnia have visited the site and held discussions with key responders on the ground and will identify if there are further local needs that could be addressed through Australia's direct aid program.

Let me conclude with a message for those in flood affected areas. U Srbiji I regionu Balkana, su od poplava stradali ljudi isti kao svi mi. Izgubili su u katastrofalnim poplavama sve sto su generacijama stvarali. Tim ljudima je potrebna nasa pomoc. Ja iskreno verujem u humanost i solidarnost. Zemlja u kojoj sam roden—neophodna je nasa pomoc.

Anthony Byrne (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to support the member for Cowan's motion that recognises the tragedy of the floods in May that affected Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia. Obviously, we have heard how it has killed many people—over 40 people—and was due to a low-pressure system called Yvette, which brought the heaviest rain to Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in 120 years of recorded weather conditions and measurements. We have also heard about the floodwaters that have caused over 2,000 landslides across this region and the many thousands of homes that have been toppled or submerged in the mud. I have been advised that this has affected some 1.6 million people in Serbia and Bosnia after a week of flooding, with many being evacuated from their homes in both countries.

My home state of Victoria is home to over 7,000 people who were born in Serbia. In my electorate there is a large and active Serbian community. I know that many have been deeply affected by these floods. Many have loved ones and families back home who have been affected. I would like to commend this community and other communities, like the Bosnian community, who have rallied together in response. Institutions like the Serbian Orthodox Church of St Stephen in Carrum Downs, Saint Stefan Serbian Orthodox Church in Keysborough and the Serbian Springvale White Eagles Football Club have organised events in recent weeks to raise money to provide urgent humanitarian aid to those who have been affected. As reported in the Dandenong Journal, parishioners from the Keysborough Serbian Orthodox Church have donated more than $230,000 to help victims. Father Chedomir Videkanic of the Keysborough Serbian Orthodox Church said in the paper that hundreds had pledged the extraordinary sum at an emotional meeting at the church last month in response to the continuing humanitarian disaster in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia. It was also reported—and this is to be commended—that the Dandenong council has contributed $10,000 to the aid effort. Father Chedomir said it may take five to 10 years and millions of dollars—probably billions of dollars—to rebuild so every donation will make a difference to reconstruction in this part of the world.

Local Serbian residents Radenko Mihalovic and Slobodan Todic have conveyed to me the vital need for financial aid for simple matters like assisting Serbian schoolchildren with uniform and books for the start of the school year in September. Many school children have had their clothes and books washed away, so these children need books and they need clothing. That is why they need this targeted aid.

I would like to say that both Radenko and Slobodan have been running the Serbian Program on Casey Radio, 3SER, 97.7 FM—that is a bit of advertising there—from 8 am to 9 am each Wednesday for the last 11 years. They have kept the local Serbian community updated with the latest news and events about the floods. Radenko has also advised that his brother Dragan has had to relocate his family from Loznica to the capital, Belgrade, to seek refuge from the floods, while his friend Elena also fled Loznica as her house had been washed away with the floods. These are tangible examples of the local community being profoundly affected by the events that occurred.

Radenko has also advised that one of the biggest challenges facing the Serbian government is the need to repair vital roads and bridges that link key towns and cities so that relief can get to those people in need. According to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the record floods in Serbia and Bosnia could cost some three million euros, or $4.5 billion. Bosnian officials have said that the physical damage could exceed that of the Bosnian War of the 1990s.

Another significant issue arising from the flooding affecting those living in Bosnia is, as has been mentioned by previous speakers, the risk of undiscovered landmines from the war in the 1990s. These landmines could have been moved by floodwaters and mudslides, increasing the risk to civilian populations. According to various sources, up to 120,000 landmines remain in 9,416 marked minefields. The floods washed away riverbanks and fuelled landslides that have unearthed these minefield warning signs and, in many cases, the unexploded booby traps themselves. An official at Bosnia's Mine Action Centre, Sasa Obradovic, said his agency in light of the floods would deploy mine-hunting scouts. Since the war mines 601 people have been killed and 1,121 wounded as a consequence of these unearthed mines. That is quite substantial.

I would like to welcome the international attention, but obviously we need to keep an eye on this. There are substantial groups of people who have been affected. It affects the Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian diaspora who live in and make a wonderful contribution to this country. It has been an honour, on behalf of the Serbian community particularly, to be able to raise this matter in this place today.

Debate adjourned.