Joint media release with the Hon Bill Shorten MP

The Albanese Labor Government is delivering financial support for people directly impacted by the bushfires burning in parts of Queensland’s Western and Darling Downs.

From 2pm, Tuesday 31 October, applications for the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) and Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) will open for people who live and work in the Western Downs and Toowoomba Local Government Areas (LGAs):

Support for Queenslanders impacted by bushfires has been extended to include Crossroads, Ducklo, Halliford, Kumbarilla, Marmadua, and Montrose. Individuals from these localities can now apply for $180 in emergency assistance, with up to $900 available for a family of five or more. These Personal Hardship Assistance grants are available to cover the costs of essential items like food, clothing and medicine. Uninsured residents can also access income-tested grants up to $5,000 per household through the Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme to inspect and reconnect damaged services like electricity, gas and water.

For the first time in our nation’s history, dedicated safe and secure emergency shelter will be available to be rapidly deployed by the Australian Government to assist people displaced by a disaster this higher risk weather season.

Federal Emergency Management Minister, Murray Watt will be on hand in Adelaide today (Sunday) to see the first national stockpile of emergency shelter camps handed over to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Joint media release with the Hon Steven Miles MP

Queenslanders impacted by bushfires at Captains Mountain, Cypress Gardens, Forest Ridge, Millmerran Downs, Millmerran Woods, Goranba, Kogan, Tara and Wieambilla can now apply for financial assistance.

Individuals can apply for $180 in emergency assistance, with up to $900 available for a family of five or more.

These Personal Hardship Assistance grants are available to cover the costs of essential items like food, clothing and medicine.

The Australian Government is establishing a standing offer panel to make it easier to source critical goods and services in preparation for and during an emergency, supporting the success of the inaugural National Emergency Management Stockpile (NEMS).

The panel will ensure a continuous and reliable national stockpile of essential goods and services like emergency shelter, generators and water purification systems, to augment state and territory emergency responses to communities impacted by disasters.

Joint media release with the Hon Jihad Dib MP

Disaster assistance is now available for Kempsey, Mid-Coast and Port Macquarie Hastings Local Government Areas (LGAs) following severe bushfires on 16 October 2023 onwards.

Assistance is being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said the bushfires caused significant damage to property and resulted in a tragic loss of life.

In a world-first, Australians now have access to a free app to better prepare their home from bushfire risk and help put downward pressure on insurance premiums.

The Australian Government contributed $3 million to support the groundbreaking work of the Resilient Building Council (RBC) who launched their free Bushfire Resilience Rating app today.

The app enables Australians to assess their site-specific risk and take action to improve their bushfire resilience.

Joint media release with the Hon Jihad Dib MP

Disaster assistance is now available in several parts of NSW to help communities recovering from severe bushfires.

Jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), the assistance has been activated for the Inverell, Kyogle, and Tenterfield Local Government Areas (LGAs) (for bushfires on 13 October 2023 onwards) and Mid-Western LGA (for bushfires on 17 October onwards). 

Approaching the third anniversary of the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, the Australian Government has joined with all States and Territories to provide an update on the progress made to help communities be better prepared, respond quickly, recover and rebuild from future disaster events.

Of the 80 recommendations made by the Royal Commission in a report tabled in Parliament on 30 October 2020, the Australian Government assumed primary responsibility for 15, with 12 completed and the remaining three expected to be completed shortly.