Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges:

(a) Australia's 370,000 first responders are the brave individuals on the frontline tackling compounding and cascading disasters, risking their lives to safeguard communities and property;

(b) the work of first responders is a service to our nation and we honour it, and that some experiences can be distressing, traumatic and dangerous;

(c) it is crucial to provide ongoing, comprehensive national support and enhance the resilience and capability of first responders, especially during and immediately after the current severe bushfire season; and

(d) Fortem Australia is the leading provider of this support for first responders nationwide, providing effective care to 15,000 unique first responders and their families across the nation, including 37,000 wellbeing activity registrations and delivery of over 6,100 clinical psychology sessions;

(2) notes the Government's delay in confirming additional continued funding for this important work to continue beyond March 2024, resulting in significant uncertainty and a risk that Fortem Australia will need to begin to scale down its operations from November 2023; and

(3) urgently calls upon the Government to announce continued funding for Fortem Australia prior to the commencement of the upcoming summer bushfire period, ensuring that first responders know where to tum in their time of need, and ensuring the seamless delivery of nation-leading support to these dedicated individuals.

There is a group of heroic individuals who live among us.

They run into danger, when we run away. They leave their families to help others, when we cling to our own. They are our first responders. When they are doing everything they can to support the nation in times of need, we need to reciprocate. Ongoing comprehensive national support is crucial to enhancing the resilience and capability of our first responders.

I rise to move this motion today to ensure that the leading provider of support for our first responders, Fortem Australia, receives the continued funding it rightly deserves. Fortem is a not-for-profit organisation that, to date, has provided effective care to 15,000 unique first responders. Their service takes a holistic approach specific to the different roles that emergency personnel play and the unique challenges that come with those roles. The former Coalition government recognised the importance of the work and provided $10 million to support the establishment of Fortem's national support program. This funding was scrapped in the October 2022 budget handed down by the Albanese Labor government. Essentially, $8 million was cut overnight. After immense public pressure, the full $10 million in funding was restored, but it was clear that this program, designed to provide vital wellbeing services to our emergency personnel, was not valued by the Labor government. The writing was on the wall, then and now, and they are set to pull the plug for good.

What does this mean? If continued funding is not announced, Fortem faces the risk of being forced to scale down its operations. This means that, from 1 December, they'll no longer be able to take on new clients. December 1 is the first day of summer, which is the start of the bushfire season and the impending wet season in Townsville. The important work that our first responders do is about to ramp up right when their support services are facing a cut. Our first responders have already had one hell of a spring season, with bushfires and floods sweeping across our nation. Our personnel are depleted, burnt out and, quite frankly, exhausted. This is when they need the support the most.

In the electorate of Herbert, in Townsville, Fortem established a presence in June this year. In this short period they have engaged with over 300 unique first responders and their families in our community alone. To put this in context, Townsville has nearly equalled the engagement seen in the city of Sydney over the last 11 months. This proves the growing need for services, particularly within rural and regional areas. Townsville is also facing the worst crime crisis it has ever seen. Without the state Labor government changing legislation to unshackle the judiciary system, the burden of keeping the city safe sits solely on the shoulders of our men and women in blue. That is another Labor government fail—at the state level, this time—leaving the first responders without hope in the law. They're in need of wellbeing support now more than ever.

We shouldn't have needed to move a motion in this place to bring attention to the issue on behalf of Fortem and the people they help. They have been fighting for a decision to be made for months, and the Minister for Emergency Management is now refusing to take their calls. Not only are they not providing Fortem with a straight answer; they are directing them to funding that is not fit for purpose, such as the disaster relief funding. The funding criteria clearly state that this is only suitable for pilot initiatives, not a proven concept such as Fortem. The Minister for Emergency Management would be aware of this, and I can only hope he did not knowingly give them a bum steer.

Fortem has successfully supported over 15,000 unique individuals. That is 15,000 individuals who will be left out in the cold if the continued funding is not granted, and that is 15,000 individuals who will be shelved back into the public health system, a system that is being weakened by the state and federal Labor governments and is not fit to handle the nuances of the first responder world. This decision will result in a vacuum of support for first responders nationwide. I implore the government to back Fortem Australia through the announcement of continued funding by month's end. This is an urgent and fundamental national priority, and I commend the motion to the House.

James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

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

I love any opportunity to show support for our incredible first responders on our New South Wales South Coast. Across Australia, first responders are some of the highest valued members of our Australian community, and it is true that first responders are the crown jewel in all regional areas. I think it's fair to say that we rely on them more than in the cities. They are usually working under more difficult conditions, with bigger areas to cover and fewer services to rely on. In my electorate of Gilmore on the New South Wales South Coast, however, we feel that even more acutely. For us, first responders are our heroes. They were there for us to rely on in some of our darkest and hardest times. During the 2019-2020 bushfires, it was first responders that our community leant on and that were there for us. Our Rural Fire Service, a largely volunteer service—of course supported by retained firefighters and Fire and Rescue NSW—literally put their lives on the line for us. As bushfires raged all across the South Coast, with hundreds of homes lost and thousands more under threat, in conditions like we had never seen before, these absolutely incredible people did not hesitate to put their own lives on the line to save ours.

It's important to remember that the bushfires of that terrible black summer didn't rage for days or weeks; they raged for months. The Currowan bushfire, which started in November 2019, burned for 74 days before finally being extinguished in February 2020. That bushfire alone destroyed nearly 500,000 hectares of land. It was our firefighters that helped to save thousands of homes and countless lives over those harrowing 74 days. Devastatingly, many homes were destroyed and lives were tragically lost. I was on the ground every single one of those 74 days, whether it was at fire control—I had two in my electorate—at the staging grounds spread across our coast, in the local RFS stations, in the evacuation centres or just out in the streets with those facing the impact. I was there, and there was barely a day that went by that I didn't see a first responder lending a helping hand and doing what they could where they could in really difficult circumstances. It's important not to forget that this was not just the RFS. There were first responders of every order: New South Wales police, paramedics, SES, marine rescue, St John Ambulance, defence, surf life saving—the list goes on. On the ground were also council workers, electricity providers, tree loppers and wildlife rescuers. I know I can't name everyone who was there. It was a whole-of-community effort, and we are grateful for it.

In the wake of those devastating bushfires, I spoke with so many of our first responders. They told absolutely heartbreaking stories. Our community experienced a shared grief, a shared trauma, that is not easily explained. In those early days as the bushfires raged, I spoke long and loud about the need for mental health support for our heroes, and I have continued talking about that ever since. On the South Coast, the bushfires were just one of many disasters to impact our community. We've had severe storms, we've had countless disaster declared floods—which we are still cleaning up from—and, of course, we have had a worldwide health pandemic. Our first responders face trauma every single day. They deserve our support. The Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt, also understands this. As the shadow minister back in 2019, he came to the South Coast many times to see for himself the impact of the bushfires. I know he felt that trauma too. Now, he, as the minister, and the Albanese government as a whole are steadfastly committed to supporting our first responders.

The Department of Health and Aged Care fund a range of mental health supports targeted towards emergency service workers and volunteers. The Black Dog Institute through the National Emergency Worker Support Service and the Australian Psychological Society through the Disaster Response Network are funded by the department of health until 30 June 2025 to provide direct support to first responders. We're also working on the National Disaster Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework and the national mental health plan for emergency services workers to ensure we have a coordinated approach to mental health support for our first responders. We'll keep working with the state and territory governments to get this plan right.

Once again, I want to say from the bottom of my heart a huge thank you to every single first responder across our community. Where would we be without you? You are the true heroes of our community.

Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We live in an imperfect world. Things go wrong. Tragedies happen—car accidents, violent crime, natural disasters, fires and floods. There are moments where we find ourselves in crisis. In our moments of crisis, it is first responders who run toward the danger, when many of us seek refuge and safety away from it. Our police, our firefighters, our ambulance paramedics and our volunteers across those three areas are our first responders; they're the ones who embrace danger to save and preserve life.

For me, one of those times was the Waroona-Yarloop fire, which devastated areas of my electorate in January 2016. What hit home to me, as I spent days speaking to the locals affected and saw the damage for myself, was the indiscriminate nature of the fire and how it paid no regard to containment lines of firebreaks. The historic town of Yarloop was destroyed. Two lives were lost, and many livestock perished in those fires. But, in the midst of the devastation and destruction, some houses remained untouched. This was a testament to the many local volunteers and emergency service workers who saved many houses and lives through their hard work and commitment to the preservation of lives and homes.

Being on the receiving end of an event that requires emergency services characterises one of the worst days of our lives. But, for first responders, the worst day of people's lives is where they work, where they go. Like those emergency responders in the Yarloop fire, day after day they make critical decisions and provide a shield against the helpless situations that people find themselves in. They do so sacrificially, running into harm's way and courageously serving their communities.

Their service is not without cost, though. On top of the daily risks they face, their sacrifices to their community place them under ongoing stress that can turn into mental health conditions. They are not unlike our ADF personnel, who carry the scars of their work. Beyond Blue has found that, compared to other Australians, police and other emergency service workers are twice as likely to experience high rates of psychological distress. Any government solution should empower and not override existing, organic relationships that people have.

Fortem acknowledges this, and that is why it offers services to families of first responders—so that the family unit itself is supported. In 2019, the former coalition government announced that it would provide nearly $2 million to Fortem. Since 2019, it has supported over 13,000 first responder families. In 2022, the coalition announced a further $10 million for Fortem, and, in November last year, Labor ensured this funding would be delivered. However, just one year later, the Albanese government has left Fortem for dead, refusing to provide funding beyond March of next year. Because of this, Fortem will have to start scaling back its programs from as early as this month.

This is a kick in the guts for our hardworking emergency services personnel, particularly as we head into bushfire season. It's tough on families, who often are the ones who have to absorb the stress, the anxiety and the cost of the work conducted by our emergency service workers. When they get home, they often bring their experiences under the roof with their families. That's why this decision to cut funding to Fortem is so grievous.

We've already seen in WA the devastating impact bushfire season can have, with 18 homes lost in Wanneroo—which is north of Perth—just last week. At Australia's time of need, the Albanese government turns to cuts to resources and capability. They've cut money from Fortem, and it's unacceptable. I urge the Prime Minister and his government to provide certainty to Fortem beyond March 2024.

Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Higgins, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For many in our community, there will be no leisurely summer vacation strolling on the beach or hanging out after a boozy lunch. Our natural-disaster first responders, whether for fires or floods or cyclones, are either on call, in training or in the field. For them, the intensifying pressures of a changing climate are all too familiar. Their work is physically and mentally taxing, but it saves whole communities and keeps others, like mine, shielded from the worst of it.

Our country is grateful for the work of our first responders, but, more than feeling gratitude, we are focused on ensuring our nation is better prepared for the disasters coming, until humanity weans itself off fossil fuels and this planet stabilises.

So what has been done in a short period time to better prepare us for national disasters? Plenty, it turns out.

One of our earliest actions was amalgamating the National Recovery and Resilience Agency and Emergency Management Australia into one agency, NEMA. NEMA has coordinated the Albanese government's Disaster Ready Fund, which will invest $1 billion in disaster mitigation over the next five years, matching funding from other levels of government on projects like flood levies, cyclone shelters, bushfire detection text and evacuation centres.

We have begun work on building Australia's first national stockpile of critical emergency shelters by Humanihut. Each hut will sleep up to four people and comes with aircon, power, water and waste services. These will help establish mobile shelter camps, to be delivered by 30 June next year. The first camp will have an eventual capacity of 700 people, or over 1,400 first responders.

We've supported the leasing and positioning of a national fleet of firefighting aircraft, such that this year we will have over 500 aircraft—more than ever before. We've opened an upgraded national situation room, enabling better collaboration between all levels of government and non-government organisations. We've introduced a new, simplified fire danger rating system, so that we all understand risk and know what action to take.

NEMA has committed more than $3.85 billion in exceptional recovery assistance packages, with costs shared with the states. In the last budget, we committed more than $236 million over 10 years to ensure communities and first responders have reliable access to flood forecasts and warning, with Queensland prioritised.

Communication is key in times of crisis, especially for first responders, which is why we are investing in improving the National Messaging System and mobile broadband program, which will enable secure voice, video and data comms. Over $1 billion is going towards improving connectivity and resilience in the regions, including hardening the mobile network and ABC broadcasting towers.

Organisations with relevant expertise are encouraged to apply to the $50 million Telecommunications Disaster Resilience Innovation Program, which aims to reduce impacts of power outages, which are the leading cause of telecommunications disruptions. Solutions may include off-grid power solutions or enhanced satellite connectivity, like the LEOs.

Playing to the strengths in communities matters. This is why farmers, landholders and organisations are getting over $13 million to remove flammable weeds, develop emergency plans to protect and reduce threats to agricultural and environmental assets, and map critical habitat of threatened species. We have funded a veteran-run volunteer organisation called Disaster Relief Australia, which will help take some of the pressure off our ADF.

Homeowners in harm's way have access to a free bushfire star rating app to better prepare their home and reduce insurance premiums. We have implemented 12 of the 15 recommendations of the bushfire royal commission, with the rest underway.

Once communities are affected, they need responsive government services, which is why we are boosting Services Australia by an additional 300 staff, at a cost of $228 million. These people will be stationed at capital cities, but also in regional New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

All of the above interventions will collectively put downward pressure on the emergence of mental health issues amongst our first responders, but we also understand that we must tackle the root cause. The root cause of these intensifying weather events is indeed climate change, and this is why we have legislated ambitious but achievable targets. We are on track, but it's going to take a whole-of-society effort for us to get there. Like our first responders, we are all obliged to roll up our sleeves and be part of the change we want to see in this world.

Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank my good friend the member for Herbert for bringing this incredibly important motion into the House today. First and foremost, I want to recognise the 370,000 first responders that protect every corner of our nation, day in and day out.

My community of Lindsay experiences floods, drought and also bushfires. We are pretty much at the front line of every single natural disaster in this country.

This means that we have a big community of first responders, who do such a tremendous job serving our community. I would like to acknowledge every RFS volunteer, and I was able to do that just a couple of weeks ago. They put their lives on the line and commit so much to serving our community, and I know that they give up a lot when it comes to spending time with their own families. I'd also like to acknowledge our officers with the Nepean Police Area Command, with stations in both Penrith and St Marys; our firies from Fire and Rescue NSW; our paramedics; and our State Emergency Service personnel, among many others.

Our first responders are often the first at a scene, and they go through this every single day, putting themselves at a high risk of multiple mental ill health conditions, such as depression, anxiety and, most of all, post-traumatic stress disorder. As I go across the country in my role as shadow assistant minister for mental health, I see how much people are struggling, particularly with what the country has been going through in recent times. Beyond Blue's national mental health and wellbeing study of police and emergency service workers shows that this group is more than twice as likely to experience high to very high rates of psychological distress. This is no surprise, given the sites they attend, the quick decisions they must make and the difficult conversations they must have. This combination is tough on its own, but constantly repeating it and not necessarily dealing with or overcoming the previous case is something that weighs heavily on a lot of people.

I note that the Senate's Education and Employment References Committee a few years ago inquired into ways of addressing the mental health experiences of first responders. The subsequent report made multiple recommendations. Recommendation 4 called for a national action plan, and the former coalition government allocated $4.5 million for it to be delivered in the Department of Home Affairs by the now opposition leader. The plan aimed to reduce the high rates of suicide and mental illness amongst emergency services workers. Further, recommendation 7 called for the extension of mental health services for all first responder volunteers. The coalition committed to this with $76 million for firefighters, emergency personnel and individuals impacted by bushfires. Additionally, the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance received over $11 million over four years from the 2020 financial year. Phoenix Australia Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health received over $1 million to develop a digital training platform to provide support and resources for health professionals who support individuals and communities affected by disasters. We also had the coalition's National Disaster Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework, which was announced after the Black Summer fires and was part of a recommendation.

Fortem was launched by the then Minister for Home Affairs in 2019. The community organisation focuses on the wellbeing of frontline workers in Australia. It was founded by the co-founders of Soldier On. Fortem provides care to 15,000 first responders and their families, and the coalition before the last election committed $10 million for Fortem to continue its vital work for first responders. After a bit of intervention, the Albanese government in November last year committed to the funding but is yet to commit to continuing this funding beyond March next year. The government must support this important community organisation. The coalition backs Fortem. It's time for this Labor government to wake up and recommit to it.

Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are some people in our community who really go above and beyond. They stand up and are there to help when an individual or when the whole community needs them most. These people are our first responders. They are there responding to floods and fire, and they are there when there's an accident on our roads or when somebody is having a medical emergency. They are always there when someone is having one of the worst days of their life. Some do it for a living and some do it as a volunteer, but there is one thing that applies to all of them. It is that all of our first responders are heroes and we owe them so much.

In my electorate we've had our fair share of challenges lately. We've had floods, which wiped out towns, out-of-control fires, which have forced people to flee from their homes—and who could ever forget the horrible Greta bus crash, which shook all of us in the Hunter and in Australia. These events all meant that everyone in the Hunter had to come together and support each other. While these are all such different kinds of disasters, one thing that all of them have in common is the first responders, the people who are the first on the scene, providing the help and the care that people need, protecting people, protecting property and protecting lives.

Australia is a lucky country in so many ways, but one of the things that makes us so lucky is the fact that we have over 370,000 selfless individuals who put their lives on the line day in, day out in order to help their community as first responders. I know that the Hunter has had to deal with disasters over the past few years, but this just means that we have as good a reason as any other part of Australia to give thanks to and feel gratitude for our first responders. We have all seen them in action and we all owe them so much. That is why I have been proud to be able to see our community lift our first responders up every single time we have been faced with one of these disasters. Our community rallies are one. They give our first responders the recognition that they all deserve as the heroes that they are.

Something we don't always think about—but something that we can't forget—is the toll that can come with being a first responder, because behind those brave faces are everyday people doing extraordinary things to help others. These brave people in our communities see things that most of us will never have to see, and they put themselves in dangerous situations that most of us are lucky to never have to experience. I have no doubt that this can take a toll on anyone's mental health. While we're always grateful for those who are there to help us, we should always be mindful that sometimes those same people need help themselves.

To the first responders, I say thank you so much. Thank you for being the people we turn to when we are at the moment of our greatest need. We owe you so much. But I also want to remind you that as a community and as a government, we are here for you. If you need help or support, there are places to go. There is Lifeline, who provides national counselling services, which are available 24 hours a day, seven days week. There is Beyond Blue, who provides national mental health and wellbeing support services, which are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are many more, such as EAP. Our first responders deserve so much, but they certainly do not deserve to be living with trauma or mental health challenges that could come as a consequence of their actions in risking their lives to help others. If you are a first responder and need help or support, do not hesitate to go out and get it. You have done so much to help others, and there is absolutely no harm or shame in seeking help yourself.

On behalf of the Hunter, I would say to all our first responders: thank you. While we are lucky and grateful to have you there to look after us, you have to remember to look after yourself. Keep up the fantastic work. You all do a fantastic job. I'm looking forward to continuing to work with you over many more years with what you do, which is selfless work for our community. Thank you so much to all of you.

Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned, and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.