Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Senator Fierravanti-Wells. Can the minister advise the Senate of what the government is doing to build on Australia's disaster risk reduction effort in the Asia-Pacific region?

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Duniam for the question. The government is focused on building climate and disaster resilience in our immediate neighbourhood because this is important to our objective of a strong and stable Indo-Pacific area. Seven out of 10 of the most disaster-prone countries are in the Asia-Pacific region. At the Paris UN climate change conference, Prime Minister Turnbull announced that at least $1 billion of overseas development assistance will be spent on climate resilience over the five years starting this year. At the Pacific Island Forum leaders' meeting in September, Mr Turnbull announced we would increase resilience expenditure to $300 million from 2016 to 2020, leveraging climate finance and private sector investment.

In addition, we are increasing support to Pacific governments, the Red Cross and NGOs, focusing on preventing disasters and reducing disaster losses. This includes deploying Australian Civilian Corps specialists into Pacific national disaster management offices to strengthen disaster preparedness. We are using our leadership role on the Green Climate Fund to ensure that the fund supports disaster risk reduction projects, particularly in the Pacific. Australia effectively doubles the recommended international target of ensuring at least one per cent of overseas development aid is directed to disaster reduction activities. Disaster risk reduction expenditure was estimated at 2.9 per cent last financial year and has consistently been around or over two per cent over the last six years. In fact, in 2012-13—the last year that those opposite were in government—it was $111 million or only 2.3 per cent compared to— (Time expired)

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Duniam, a supplementary question.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for the answer. I ask the minister if she is aware of claims that Australia is providing less support for disaster risk reduction in the region.

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am aware of ill-informed claims by those who should know better that Australia is now less committed to disaster risk reduction than previously. As I was saying last year, it was $116 million—2.9 per cent. Senator Moore's recent claim that disaster risk reduction expenditure has fallen to 1.4 per cent is not correct. I am shocked, Senator Moore, that you would seek to undermine the confidence of countries who are partners in managing risk reduction and, by implication, in managing disasters in our region. The Turnbull government has not deprioritised disaster risk reduction in our overseas development assistance program. On the contrary, we are building resilience, and resilience has been elevated to one of the six priority areas in the government's aid policy. Integrating disaster risk reduction into Australian aid investments— (Time expired)

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Duniam, a final supplementary question.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Finally, I ask: is the minister aware of any alternative approaches to disaster risk reduction?

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am certainly aware that the previous Labor government provided a lower level of support than this government for disaster risk reduction. In the 15 months prior to the 2013 election, the former Labor government cut $5.7 billion from the aid budget. It also diverted $750 million from the aid budget to pay for its border protection blowout, making the Gillard government the third-largest recipient of its own overseas international development assistance. This also resulted in aid being cut to 25 developing countries, including Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. When in government, Labor used overseas development assistance to fund its campaign to win a seat on the United Nations Security Council, including millions of dollars to rebuild Grenada's parliament house and $150,000 to build an anti-slavery statue at the United Nations. (Time expired)