Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Davey. I'm sure all of our thoughts are with those communities who have been impacted by the bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland, communities who are also struggling with the drought. I'd like to commend the efforts of our first responders, many of whom are volunteers, who are working day and night to keep these communities safe. The bushfires burning in southern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales remain active and include an emerging situation at Shark Creek, near Yamba. The forecast of dry and windy conditions until Tuesday, with no sign of rain, means the fire situation will remain volatile. I urge everyone to stay aware of their surroundings and follow advice from local management authorities.

The full impact of the fires is still being assessed. The impacts that have been confirmed so far include: in Queensland, 17 homes have been lost in Stanthorpe and fire has destroyed historic Binna Burra Lodge in the Gold Coast hinterland, which is part of Australia's World Heritage Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves; and, in New South Wales, one home has been destroyed, another five damaged and 15 other structures have been destroyed. Sadly, a New South Wales Rural Fire Service volunteer firefighter was seriously injured while fighting a fire near Tenterfield on Friday afternoon. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured firefighter and his loved ones.

The Australian government is in regular contact with the affected jurisdictions and is positioned to provide assistance when required. On Friday 6 September, the Director-General of Emergency Management Australia approved the activation of a COMDISPLAN in relation to bushfires burning in South-East Queensland and northern New South Wales, which sees our Defence Force on the ground ready to assist in the recovery phase of the fires.