❓ Mr. Rundle questions the Minister for Emergency Services about securing federal bushfire recovery funds for Katanning and the South West, particularly regarding the Stirling Range National Park. The Minister explains the federal funding criteria and urges Mr. Rundle to lobby his federal colleagues.
AnsweredQoN 342Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BUSHFIRES —
KATANNING AND SOUTH WEST
342. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the minister's
failure to secure grants from the federal government's $2 billion
bushfire recovery fund, despite over 1 million hectares being burnt in Western Australia
over the summer.
(1) With last week's announcement of $149.7 million
towards the bushfire recovery for species and landscapes program, will
the minister finally stand up for fire-affected communities and get WA on the
grants list?
(2) Considering there is a complex recovery phase for
40 000 hectares burnt in the Stirling Range National Park , will the
minister support the local community and help it access federal funding?
KATANNING AND SOUTH WEST
342. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the minister's
failure to secure grants from the federal government's $2 billion
bushfire recovery fund, despite over 1 million hectares being burnt in Western Australia
over the summer.
(1) With last week's announcement of $149.7 million
towards the bushfire recovery for species and landscapes program, will
the minister finally stand up for fire-affected communities and get WA on the
grants list?
(2) Considering there is a complex recovery phase for
40 000 hectares burnt in the Stirling Range National Park , will the
minister support the local community and help it access federal funding?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for his question. It is the second question from the member on
this very subject. No matter how many times I say it to him, it literally goes
in one ear and out the other. I do not know why.
The member asked me why I do not
stand up for Western Australia for those people affected by the summer
bushfires and get our hands on the money that was allocated particularly for
the bushfires in the eastern states, primarily, as the member knows, by the
Prime Minister. I have written twice to the federal minister for emergency services,
David Littleproud, who is in the same political party as the member. I have
written twice to him, once for the Shire of Dundas, because of the impact of
the fire on its highway, and once over the
fire in Katanning, in the member's electorate, as well. I have told the
member this in Parliament.
Mr P.J. Rundle : Every other
state has managed to get on the list.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : There is a big
difference.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
F.M. LOGAN : There is a very, very
big difference between the fires that affected Queensland, New South Wales ,
Victoria and Tasmania, and the fire in the Stirling Range National Park. There
is a significant difference. There were not 2 000 homes lost. Please, if the
member wants to say this sort of crazy stuff, he should go out there and publicly say it and call on his parliamentary
colleagues in the National Party federally. He should do that comparison and see what response he gets—see what the response is from David
Littleproud! But I have taken up the issues for the town of Katanning, for the
people around Katanning who were affected by that fire, and for the member. I got
an answer the other day from David Littleproud in his letter of 22 April. I will
read this out so that the member clearly understands what the rules are. I cannot
pull that money out of David Littleproud's pocket unless he agrees.
Here are the rules. The letter states —
The Australian Government
only provides support for bushfire events which have been notified under the
jointly funded Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). Under the DRFA, a
state may notify the Australian Government of an eligible disaster if:
1. a coordinated
multi-agency response was required, and
2. state
expenditure on eligible measures exceeds the small disaster criterion of
$240,000.
It did not reach $240 000. The fire
was in a park that belongs to the state government —
Mr P.J. Rundle interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Roe!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : — and
the state government has put back all the infrastructure that was affected by
that fire. Up in Norseman, as I explained to both the president and the CEO of
Norseman, no matter how much we tried to help that shire in trying to get to
that category level of $240 000, we were not able to do it. It is the same in
the member's electorate as well. I have
asked the federal government to consider waiving that type of criteria. That is
the answer. The answer is no.
David Littleproud is a colleague of the
member's political party. I would urge the member, if he wants it
changed, to take it up with him.
thank the member for his question. It is the second question from the member on
this very subject. No matter how many times I say it to him, it literally goes
in one ear and out the other. I do not know why.
The member asked me why I do not
stand up for Western Australia for those people affected by the summer
bushfires and get our hands on the money that was allocated particularly for
the bushfires in the eastern states, primarily, as the member knows, by the
Prime Minister. I have written twice to the federal minister for emergency services,
David Littleproud, who is in the same political party as the member. I have
written twice to him, once for the Shire of Dundas, because of the impact of
the fire on its highway, and once over the
fire in Katanning, in the member's electorate, as well. I have told the
member this in Parliament.
Mr P.J. Rundle : Every other
state has managed to get on the list.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : There is a big
difference.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
F.M. LOGAN : There is a very, very
big difference between the fires that affected Queensland, New South Wales ,
Victoria and Tasmania, and the fire in the Stirling Range National Park. There
is a significant difference. There were not 2 000 homes lost. Please, if the
member wants to say this sort of crazy stuff, he should go out there and publicly say it and call on his parliamentary
colleagues in the National Party federally. He should do that comparison and see what response he gets—see what the response is from David
Littleproud! But I have taken up the issues for the town of Katanning, for the
people around Katanning who were affected by that fire, and for the member. I got
an answer the other day from David Littleproud in his letter of 22 April. I will
read this out so that the member clearly understands what the rules are. I cannot
pull that money out of David Littleproud's pocket unless he agrees.
Here are the rules. The letter states —
The Australian Government
only provides support for bushfire events which have been notified under the
jointly funded Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). Under the DRFA, a
state may notify the Australian Government of an eligible disaster if:
1. a coordinated
multi-agency response was required, and
2. state
expenditure on eligible measures exceeds the small disaster criterion of
$240,000.
It did not reach $240 000. The fire
was in a park that belongs to the state government —
Mr P.J. Rundle interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Roe!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : — and
the state government has put back all the infrastructure that was affected by
that fire. Up in Norseman, as I explained to both the president and the CEO of
Norseman, no matter how much we tried to help that shire in trying to get to
that category level of $240 000, we were not able to do it. It is the same in
the member's electorate as well. I have
asked the federal government to consider waiving that type of criteria. That is
the answer. The answer is no.
David Littleproud is a colleague of the
member's political party. I would urge the member, if he wants it
changed, to take it up with him.
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