Andrew Wilkie (Denison, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, the damage bill from the severe weather event and subsequent flooding in Greater Hobart on 10 and 11 May has now reached many tens of millions of dollars. Can you advise the House of the emergency arrangements the federal government has enacted? Can you also confirm that people affected by the awful event—including the local councils—will have the full cooperation and assistance of the federal government in accessing government support, including funding? And do you commit to instructing officials to respond with a real sense of urgency?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question, and I want to commend the people of Hobart and surrounding areas for their resilience in dealing with the region's worst storm in many decades. So often, natural disasters throw nature's worst at communities, but at the same time, when nature throws its worst at Australians, it brings out the very best in the Australian character.

I can confirm that the Commonwealth and Tasmanian governments have activated assistance under the jointly funded National Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements. The Commonwealth and Tasmanian governments acted swiftly, announcing the assistance on 14 May—as the honourable member, I'm sure, is aware. The assistance includes grants for people on low incomes to help with temporary living expenses and replacing essential household items and grants for repair, restoration and clean-up. It provides assistance for local councils to help them with the cost of removing debris from residential properties to make them safe and habitable and restoring essential public assets such as roads and bridges.

The assistance is available in the six local government areas of Clarence, Derwent Valley, Glenorchy, Hobart, Huon Valley and Kingborough. The federal government is working closely with the Tasmanian government to assess the impact of the floods and to identify any further recovery assistance that may be needed. My government, as the honourable members know, works with all state governments to make sure they have the support they need in the wake of these natural disasters, and it's the responsibility of the state and territory governments, for their part, to work directly with local councils.

I think I can speak for the honourable member—and indeed all members—when I say to the emergency personnel and the volunteers who give up their time, who courageously put their own lives at risk and their personal safety at risk and coordinate the logistics to keep people safe, rescue them and protect their property in the times of these disasters: once again, thank you. We must never forget that they bring out the very best of the Australian character in the way they volunteer and take on these storms and fires and floods, and they do so because of their love for and commitment to their fellow Australians. Time and again, in the face of these storms and natural disasters and fires, Australians show grace under pressure and bravery in the face of danger and rally without a second thought to help each other.