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

PHILLIPS () (): My question is to the Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories: how is the Albanese Labor government supporting regional communities to rebuild following natural disasters, what approach has the government adopted and what approaches has it rejected?

Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for the question and acknowledge the work she continues to do in the recovery effort in her electorate. We know many Australians have been impacted by natural disasters. Only last week we saw remote communities in the Northern Territory evacuated, and the Albanese Labor government stand ready to assist where we can. Floods, fires, cyclones and extreme weather events continue to devastate much of our vast country. Natural disasters and the communities they impact should never be politicised, and we unfortunately have seen this time and time again from those opposite. Now the New South Wales Audit Office has found the New South Wales Liberal-National government chose the same path in bushfire funding. Politics absolutely needs to take a back seat in times of community need. The most important thing people and communities need to know is that support is available during a disaster. Competitive grant funding after a disaster doesn't work.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, questions are to be asked to ministers about their portfolio responsibilities, not the responsibilities of another government, the New South Wales government.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question was about what approaches have been adopted and rejected.

Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm going to avoid even commenting on that ridiculous interruption.

Competitive grant funding really needs to take a back seat, because communities should not be pitted against each other in times of disaster. In times of disaster, people need to come together for recovery. I don't know if those opposite know that in my electorate a thousand homes were burnt during the Black Summer bushfire, and 2,000 sheds and outbuildings and tens of thousands of kilometres of fence line lost, and not once in those 10 years prior did I see anyone over there saying, 'Where's the black spot funding for Eden-Monaro? They're going to need it, because there's a disaster coming'—not once. You guys had three years under former prime minister Morrison where you had a disaster recovery fund where you collected $800 million of interest and didn't spend a single dollar on a mitigation project—not a single dollar on recovery. It's absolute hypocrisy coming from those opposite.

And we won't repeat those mistakes, which is why we are committed to the Disaster Ready Fund—a billion dollars over five years so that we can help communities to prepare for the next natural disaster with flood levies, evacuation centres and cyclone shelters. We know it's important, and we know regional communities do best when they work together. When they're not politicised, we get outcomes. Grant funding doesn't need to go to the North Sydney pool. Those opposite should have thought about that when they sent regional dollars there. People in communities spend time and money applying for grant funds, and this side of the House will work with communities to deliver grant funds on an integrity and transparency basis. Our government is committed to working with communities, especially in our regions. Our Powering the Regions Fund and the National Reconstruction Fund will bring investment into our regional communities on a transparent basis— (Time expired)