David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. It's been more than seven months since flooding hit Central West New South Wales. In towns like Eugowra, more than 100 people are still living in temporary housing with no government support to rebuild their homes. Prime Minister, when will communities in Central West New South Wales get this support?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. I visited Eugowra, of course, with the then New South Wales Premier, Dominic Perrottet, and the member for Calare as well as the local mayor—just as I visited communities such as Lismore and others that have been affected by flooding just as tragically. I visited the area of the Riverland, with the member for Barker in attendance as well, and, tragically as well, attended floods in northern Tasmania and floods in Broome and around the Kimberley. This has had an enormous impact. Of course, I am certainly not just willing; I want to work with the member, as I've worked with other members. On issues in Lismore, we worked to purchase some properties as well and make sure—but I know that the mayor of Lismore, who I met last week when I was at the Australian Council of Local Government, indicated there were still ongoing problems there.

Where there are problems, it is not good enough—simple as that. We need to do better. Governments of all persuasions need to work together. These aren't partisan issues. I don't take a partisan approach to this, as the Leader of the National Party will know. That's why I have always informed—I visited seats with the member for Page, the member for Barker and the member for Calare. Wherever these occur, I'm willing to do whatever it is that the Commonwealth will do.

Of course, by and large, it is the states that provide housing. There is no Commonwealth public works department that builds housing and provides support. Some of the issues that we need to work with are issues of insurance for people, and we know that has been a challenge—too many people who have lost everything find themselves in disagreement with insurance companies. We're working on that with the Insurance Council, and I think there has been significant progress there. I worked very closely with the Perrottet government at the time. We worked in a completely bipartisan way at different levels of government. I'll certainly raise issues that the incoming Minns government and the Premier of New South Wales have raised with me. I'm happy to work with him over the break, as well as with the Leader of the Nationals. The local member for Calare has been very diligent in standing up for his community that has suffered so much as well.