Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today marks the start of the bushfire danger season on the New South Wales South Coast, in particular in the local council areas of the Shoalhaven and the Eurobodalla. Now, Deputy Speaker, my communities know a thing or two about bushfires. They've been through the raging bushfires, and they want help to prepare for the next bushfire season.

What we have is a government and a Prime Minister that have no plan for disaster preparedness—no plan. The Prime Minister could learn from my community if he actually visited. The government had a $200 million emergency response fund to help with disaster preparedness. They let it lapse. They didn't spend a cent. My communities are calling out for help. I have visited community group after community group, right across the South Coast. They want to know how they can get backup generators, backup communications, backup power. They want help with things like an integrated emergency management centre in Moruya. They want help with our telecommunications and our power. We want our Princes Highway fixed. We want our mobile blackspots reduced.

There is so much that can be done, and the government hasn't spent a cent of that $200 million. It is not good enough. The government has no plan for disaster preparedness and they need to fix it now.