Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

Obviously, as well as it being vital that the federal government supports state and local governments when disasters hit, we're also working with state and territory governments and authorities, as well as industry and communities, to help Australia better prepare, respond and recover.

Ahead of this season, we conducted the largest ever disaster preparedness program across the nation, bringing together over 2,500 people to get ready for this summer. We've committed an additional $35 million over two years, increasing our aerial capability with a national large air tanker and three heavy-lift helicopters, and our flagship Disaster Ready Fund has already invested nearly $750 million of joint Commonwealth and state funding in over 350 projects around the country. That includes building cyclone shelters, improving drainage systems to better prepare communities against flooding and trialling AI for early fire detection in remote places.

We'll keep on preparing, because we know there will be more natural disasters, and we'll continue supporting communities to be ready.