4 years ago
PM STILL HAS NO PLAN FOR BUSHFIRE SEASON
Murray Watt MP
The Australian Bushfire and Climate Plan, released by the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA) today, is a fresh bushfire warning to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Last bushfire season Prime Minister Scott Morrison refused to meet with this group of former fire chiefs, turned his back on advice from them and failed to prepare for the crisis.
Now they have once again offered their advice, and the Prime Minister must not ignore them again.
The report outlines 165 recommendations from the ex-fire chiefs, doctors and bushfire victims.
Crucially, the experts stress the need for more bushfire risk mitigation work to be undertaken.
“The summer of crisis exposed deficiencies in national leadership and coordination, the need for greater resourcing of bushfire risk mitigation and firefighting efforts”
- Emergency Leaders for Climate Action Australian Bushfire and Climate Plan, P11
This is a particularly disturbing revelation given the Federal Government is currently refusing to spend millions of dollars already put aside specifically for disaster mitigation work.
The Emergency Response Fund (ERF) was established with Labor’s support last year, providing $200 million a year to aid disaster recovery and resilience from bushfires, floods and tropical cyclones.
As a condition of Labor’s support, $50 million a year of this amount was set aside to be spent on ongoing mitigation works, but the Morrison Government failed to spend a cent before the end of the 2019-20 financial year.
It is negligent to have funds that could prevent future disasters sitting around for six months, and not use them.
Scott Morrison has the ability to rapidly move to prepare Australia for future bushfire threats.
The Morrison Government must carefully consider the recommendations put in front of it, listen to experts and move swiftly to respond better to future disasters.
Bushfire communities can’t afford a repeat of last year.
Last bushfire season Prime Minister Scott Morrison refused to meet with this group of former fire chiefs, turned his back on advice from them and failed to prepare for the crisis.
Now they have once again offered their advice, and the Prime Minister must not ignore them again.
The report outlines 165 recommendations from the ex-fire chiefs, doctors and bushfire victims.
Crucially, the experts stress the need for more bushfire risk mitigation work to be undertaken.
“The summer of crisis exposed deficiencies in national leadership and coordination, the need for greater resourcing of bushfire risk mitigation and firefighting efforts”
- Emergency Leaders for Climate Action Australian Bushfire and Climate Plan, P11
This is a particularly disturbing revelation given the Federal Government is currently refusing to spend millions of dollars already put aside specifically for disaster mitigation work.
The Emergency Response Fund (ERF) was established with Labor’s support last year, providing $200 million a year to aid disaster recovery and resilience from bushfires, floods and tropical cyclones.
As a condition of Labor’s support, $50 million a year of this amount was set aside to be spent on ongoing mitigation works, but the Morrison Government failed to spend a cent before the end of the 2019-20 financial year.
It is negligent to have funds that could prevent future disasters sitting around for six months, and not use them.
Scott Morrison has the ability to rapidly move to prepare Australia for future bushfire threats.
The Morrison Government must carefully consider the recommendations put in front of it, listen to experts and move swiftly to respond better to future disasters.
Bushfire communities can’t afford a repeat of last year.