Glenn Lazarus (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I present the final report of the Joint Select Committee on the Australia Fund Establishment, together with the Hansard record of proceedings and documents presented to the committee.

Ordered that the report be printed.

I move:

That the Senate take note of the report.

I am tabling the committee report for the Australia Fund Committee today.

The purpose of this committee was to determine whether Australia needs to establish a fund—funded by taxpayers—to respond to disasters.

The committee concluded that a specific fund was not necessary.

A range of mechanisms and programs already exist across three tiers of government to address disasters.

I would like to add however that personally I do consider drought and the impact of CSG mining in Queensland to be a disaster, and I am currently working with representatives of the Queensland community to address current federal government programs of support which are not working effectively, to determine how they could be improved, and to develop tailored initiatives which will address the specific needs of impacted people across Queensland.

I will also be undertaking a Queensland Water Summit in September to bring together all sectors of the Queensland community to urgently address and develop solutions for the water crisis in Queensland.

I have written to the Premier of Queensland—Ms Palaszczuk—regarding this summit to seek her support and will be meeting with her in July to discuss this further.

In summary, while the committee found that the establishment of a new fund was not necessary, the committee did develop a range of recommendations to address a number of issues across the country.

I would just like to thank the secretary and all of his staff for all the work they did. I want to congratulate Andrew Laming MP, member for Bowman, as chair—he did a wonderful job—and, of course, all the other senators that contributed to the committee.

It is also my hope that these recommendations that the committee has put forward are embraced by government.

I commend this report to the Senate.

Question agreed to.