Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Thanks, again, Senator Sheldon. While we continue to support communities that are recovering from last year's floods, we're also planning for the first significant fire season since 2019-20. We certainly don't want to see a repeat of Black Summer, when the then coalition government ignored the warnings they were given and failed to prepare. We know that multiple years of rainfall has created significant vegetation growth ahead of what looks to be a dry, hot summer. It's a reminder that we all need to be doing bushfire prep at home and keeping an eye on fire danger ratings and fire bans.

Through the Albanese government's new Disaster Ready Fund, we are co-investing $95 million in bushfire mitigation and resilience projects across the country. The Albanese government is also convening a National Emergency Management Ministers Meeting at the end of the month to ensure that all levels of government are fully prepared for the coming fire season. We are working with commissioners and chief officers to understand fire risks for the coming season and ensure that resource arrangements, including aerial firefighting assets, are in place. We will be prepared. (Time expired)