SUBJECT/S: Disaster Ready Fund Round 4, preparedness, Helen Haines
MINISTER FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, KRISTY MCBAIN: It’s great to be back in the Victorian State Control Centre. Obviously, we spent a lot of time here last summer during a really tough bushfire season. And I know many communities are still moving through their recovery phase, which can be a really long road. We also know we've got a high-risk weather season on our doorstep and I want to reassure Victorians that the Australian Government, alongside our state partners, is preparing for what could be another really difficult season on the fire front. The Australian and Victorian governments will continue to work closely to ensure we're prepared as possible for whatever eventuates over the summer period. And while states and territories do have primary responsibility for emergency services and disaster recovery, we stand with you, and we're ready to assist in any way that is needed during this period. Last summer alone, we committed $253.8 million under our Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements to assist Victoria. Our government is always focused on helping Victoria to reduce risk and to build resilience. And I'm here today with Minister Edbrooke to announce the successful Victorian projects under Round Four of the Albanese Government's $1 billion Disaster Ready Fund. It's our primary national program for disaster risk and resilience. Through this round alone, our government is investing more than $17.7 million in 11 projects across Victoria. It's complemented by more than $19.1 million from the Carroll Government and project partners, bringing that total investment to $36.8 million. Investing in key community infrastructure like Mansfield Shire’s Community Resilience Project, supporting communities before, during, and after emergencies such as bushfires. We're taking the first steps towards the restoration of Ruffy's Recreation Reserve and Tablelands Community Centre, destroyed by fire earlier this year. We're investing in flood protection measures like a levy to protect Rochester Hospital. The Disaster Ready Fund is critical. It's part of our commitment to reducing risk before disasters occur, to help keep communities safe while reducing the long-term costs of recovery and reconstruction. We know that Australians are experiencing disasters more frequently and at a more intense rate than ever before, which is why investing in risk reduction, resilience, and preparedness, which is why our Disaster Ready Fund is so critical. It's just one of the steps our government is taking to keep Australians safe. We've already made significant steps in this space, including creating the National Emergency Management Agency to coordinate and collaborate with states and territories. We've invested in the National Emergency Management Stockpile to make sure that states and territories are assisted in times of disaster. We've made sure that we continue to work with our states and territories through this $1 billion Disaster Ready Fund, and we have increased funding through our national aerial firefighting fleet. These are just some of the ways that we're helping states and territories and Australians to stay safe during times of disaster.
VICTORIAN MINISTER FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES, PAUL EDBROOKE: It's great to be here with Minister Kristy McBain to make this announcement today on the DRF Round Four projects. We know that we have a great partnership with our friends in Federal Government. Yesterday, there was the announcement of the agreement in the education sector. Victoria has the best paid teachers, the best NAPLAN results, and now we've got an agreement with the Commonwealth to ensure that we go forward with a partnership to continue the education state here in Victoria. Today's announcement is, of course, over $36 million dollars of disaster and pre-planning work to make our communities more resilient in Victoria. I know first hand as a former firefighter and from working in these communities for many years during fires, during floods, and in the aftermath, that these are proud, strong, resilient communities. But there are things that government can do to make them more resilient and prepared for what is coming in in the future years. We know that in high risk weather seasons, we know that during summer, because of climate change, largely things are becoming a little bit more dramatic, and we need to be more prepared. That's why we have this fire season the largest aircraft firefighting fleet of more than 60 aircraft and more on hand if we need them, the best funded fire services, the fire services with the best response times in the nation, and a commitment to more than 150 trucks - the largest commitment ever in Australia's history to firefighting trucks under a re-elected Carol Labor government. Today, we're here standing side-by-side as state and federal representatives because we know that while these communities are resilient, they need help in preparing and dealing with incidents such as fire and floods, but also in the clean-up and the rebuild in the aftermath. That's why we need to be here today to make sure that this money is getting out where it's needed. These projects will help communities across Victoria prepare better for emergencies, and preparation is where it's at when you're talking emergency management. Preparation is not only key to how we how we react and how we respond to these incidents, but how we rebuild afterwards as well. This help includes money for the communities of Ruffy and Mansfield, communities that I visited as the emergency services minister. And it also includes some other communities who have been affected by flood and fire in the last year as well. Again, in meeting with the mayors of Murrumbidgee Shire and Strathbogie Shire, I just reiterate that these communities are strong, they are resilient. They are tough, and we are listening. And part of this funding is going towards making sure what they need comes to fruition. And Minister McBain mentioned some of those projects. One is the Racecourse Creek flood levy, with $12.3 million going to going to that project in Epsom to make sure they're prepared. The Castlemaine Campbell's Creek flood levy project, which is a $4.4 million project to deliver levy works at the Castlemaine Caravan Park to ensure they're prepared for emergencies in the future. A coastal risk reduction and resilience program, which is a $7.2 million program that goes towards building that community up to be prepared for emergencies in the future, and as we've heard, the Mansfield Shire Community Resilience Project and a Ruffy Community Infrastructure Project, which amounts nearly $3.9 million of funding to strengthen their emergency response and capacity. We've also got the Rochester and Elmore District Health Sector Hospital Facility Flood Protection Levy with $3.7 million going towards that as well. We know that this this summer looks like it has a lot of potential as far as fire. We've heard the briefs from our emergency management chiefs and we know that we need to be more prepared than ever in the future for these fire incidents, which affect communities so profoundly in one of the most fire-prone areas in the world here in Victoria. And we stand here in partnership with our federal government, making sure that our communities are better prepared than ever. Thanks.
REPORTER: The preparedness funding is important, but you mentioned the Strathbogie and Murrindindi Shire councils. Is there any update on whether they'll be able to receive rates relief, given that they're still struggling after last season's bushfires?
EDBROOKE: We'll have some announcements as far as those shires fairly soon. But as far as rate relief, that's up to local government as to whether they provide rate relief to their ratepayers.
REPORTER: But they need they need funding from government to be able to do that.
EDBROOKE: And we've got we've been working with those shires, and we will have more to say on that pretty soon.
REPORTER: And can I ask you for an update on the start these projects? I know, in particular, Helen Haines was working particularly hard for the bridges. There's about nine of them in the Dorset area. Is there any update on whether that funding will be granted for the Betterment Project, so that these bridges can be built before the bushfire season.
MCBAIN: Helen Haines, as we all know, is a really formidable advocate for her community. She's met with both Minister Edbrooke and I on a variety of different measures for the recovery of those communities. As Minister Edbrooke said, there'll be more to say on that very shortly.
REPORTER: How prepared is Victoria, do you think, in terms of the upcoming bushfire season? Is there anything else that needs to be done, or anything that Victorians need to do?
MCBAIN: Now is the time to prepare. Australians, wherever they live, should have an emergency plan. They need to make sure that they've got emergency kit ready. Australians should be taking the steps that they need to now to make sure that their properties are as prepared as possible. We all know that El Nino might bring with it some significant conditions over the coming months, floods and cyclones, but also bushfire impact. The dryness in our communities at the moment is pretty relevant to every Australian. So, now's the time that those individuals can start making the necessary preparations that they need to make. States and territories have obviously been doing a whole range of preparedness work in their local communities. For example, the federal government helped to fund the Get Ready Weekend program that was rolled out nationwide. We're really investing through things like the Disaster Ready Fund in those preparedness, resilience, and mitigation projects that each community is calling out for. We've just announced, as Minister Edbrooke said, nearly $36 million dollars in combined funding to make sure that we're working on those resilience projects now. States and territories have been doing that work.
REPORTER: I'm sure you've seen the Climate Council today has briefed the government on a report which found that bushfires will cost Australia an average of $6 billion a year. Obviously, they're calling for more climate action in order to prevent those kind of costs. Is that something the government is prepared to look at?
MCBAIN: We continue to work on a whole range of programs that look at resilience and adaptation and mitigation across our country. The Disaster Ready Fund was a fund that we implemented in 2022. A risk reduction, mitigation, and resilience fund didn't exist before we came into government. We know how important it is to invest upfront. These projects show that we're listening to local communities, that we're investing money where they're asking us to invest it. These are ground-up projects. These aren't projects being pushed down to local communities by the Commonwealth government or the state government. These are projects that communities have long called for. We're investing in them to make sure that we've got more resilient infrastructure, more resilient services, and that people can feel assured that we are listening to what they are asking us to do, and that is investing in their risk reduction upfront.
REPORTER: Do you mind if I ask you a question about Helen, just about the work you've done together? Obviously, this is a shock. You've worked very closely with Helen Haines. What was your reaction, and have you been in touch with the family?
MCBAIN: My reaction was one of a complete shock. I heard about this on Monday night, as the incident had unfolded, Helen and I used to share an electorate boundary until New South Wales boundaries were redrawn in the 2025 election. Helen's community and mine had a very similar Black Summer bushfire experience, and I've worked with Helen over the last six years on a whole range of measures. Just last week in Parliament, Helen and I launched the Parliamentary Friends of Snow Sports and the Alpine Economy, representing the biggest ski resorts in Australia. She's someone who is always prepared to have a discussion. Always interested in how you are and how your family is, and somebody who is deeply respected, regardless of where you sit on the political spectrum. I know right now there are many people reaching out to Helen's family. We've as an office reached out to her office. I know her staff will be going through some really difficult emotions at this point in time. I haven't reached out to the family because I think it's important that they're given a little bit of time and space to deal with what's currently in front of them. But it goes without saying that Helen's deeply respected, and we've got all of our thoughts and healing vibes headed towards Helen at this point in time.
