James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. Will the minister update the Senate on how the government is supporting those Australians affected by bushfires across Queensland, including in my home district of the Southern Downs, and northern New South Wales?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McGrath for that question. Southern Queensland and north-east New South Wales have experienced unprecedented fires since Friday. It is only September, and every indication is that a hot, dry summer is ahead.

There are over 100 fires burning in Queensland and New South Wales, with 51 active fires in New South Wales. However, those fires that were of great concern over Friday and Saturday—the fires at Tenterfield in New South Wales and at Stanthorpe, Applethorpe and Sarabah in Queensland—no longer threaten lives and property. However, the forecast of dry and windy conditions until Tuesday and no sign of rain means the fire situation remains volatile. The fire danger ratings are very high for north-east New South Wales and South-East Queensland. Fortunately, no lives were lost, although a New South Wales Rural Fire Service volunteer firefighter was, sadly, seriously injured while fighting a fire near Tenterfield. Our thoughts are with the volunteer and their family.

In terms of property, five houses were destroyed, another five were damaged and 25 non-residential structures have been destroyed in the New South Wales fires. In Queensland 52 houses were damaged, including 15 houses that were completely destroyed. Fire has also destroyed the historic Binna Burra Lodge in the Gold Coast hinterland, which is part of the Australian World Heritage listed eastern rainforest reserves.

I can report that the Australian Defence Force is providing support from Kokoda Barracks to firefighters in Canungra. In New South Wales and Queensland, we are also providing disaster recovery assistance. In New South Wales, the assistance is being provided under the jointly-funded Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. It is available for the local government areas of Armidale, Clarence Valley, Glen Innes, Inverell, Tenterfield, Uralla and Walcha.

Anyone in need of assistance should contact the New South Wales government Disaster Welfare Assistance Line on 1800018444. Likewise, in Queensland DRFA assistance is available in the local government areas of Scenic Rim and Southern Downs. The Queensland government Community Recovery Hotline is 1800173349.

I want to thank on behalf of the government—and, I'm sure, the entire Senate—our emergency services and our career and volunteer personnel for all the work that they have done in recent days. You have our gratitude, respect and deep thanks. The best thing anyone can do in these areas and others affected by fires in coming months is to plan to stay aware of your surroundings and follow the advice from local emergency management authorities. Buildings can be rebuilt and vegetation can regrow, but people can't be replaced. It's beholden on all of us to take the necessary precautions and care over the months ahead.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—The opposition joins with the government in expressing our deep concern for residents affected by the serious bushfires that are burning across Queensland and northern New South Wales. As of last night, there were 51 active fires in New South Wales and 61 in Queensland. It is of concern that so many bushfires of this severity are occurring so early in the year, and this should prompt further thought by all in this place. Many properties have been destroyed and damaged, including the heritage listed Binna Burra Lodge in the Gold Coast hinterland. The opposition have been in contact with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and state and federal emergency services ministers to offer support, and we'll continue to monitor the situation very closely.

We commend the efforts of fire and emergency service personnel and the many volunteers who have assisted in these dangerous conditions. We also commend residents of bushfire affected regions for their cooperation with authorities. We join our state and federal counterparts in encouraging all residents to follow the directions of authorities from here on. We express our sincerest sympathies to those who've lost their properties and we'll do what we can to support recovery efforts. We urge state and federal governments to take a compassionate approach towards those affected as recovery gets underway.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I'd like to join with the government and the opposition in thanking the incredible effort of emergency services workers who are putting their lives on the line, right now, in defending property and ensuring that Australian lives are not put at risk. We also extend our deepest sympathies and our thoughts to the many Australians who have lost their homes, their property and their animals and have experienced great trauma as a result of these—in the words of the leader of the Senate—'unprecedented fires'.

But the Australian Greens don't just offer our thanks; we acknowledge that these fires will only continue to get more frequent, more severe and more intense and put more lives at risk. Emergency services workers have said, unequivocally, that it is absolutely critical we deal with human induced climate change. If we are not going to do that, we will be putting their lives and the lives of many more Australians at risk. It is absolutely critical that we acknowledge we are in a climate emergency, that ministers who fail to act on climate change are putting the lives of Australians at risk and that we must do everything we can to transition our economy away from polluting fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, to renewable energy, to decrease pollution and to ensure that our climate crisis, which is contributing to these fires, is dealt with in a way that is consistent with the science, with the evidence, with what emergency services workers are demanding of us, with what doctors are demanding of us and with what the science is demanding of all of us.