​​SUBJECT/S: Flash flooding on Great Ocean Road, Qld floods, Vic bushfires, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026

HOST JADE MACMILLAN: Australia is the land of fire and flood, with both causing emergencies across multiple states in the recent weeks. The Federal government has announced tens of millions of dollars in relief funding as communities count the costs of fires in Victoria and flood damage in several regions across North Queensland. Emergency management Minister Kristy McBain has been visiting affected areas this week. Welcome back to Radio National Breakfast.

MINISTER FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, KRISTY MCBAIN: Good morning

HOST: Can I start with the flash flooding that we've seen along Victoria's Great Ocean Road? Extraordinary images of cars being swept out to sea. What are you hearing about the situation there?

MCBAIN: Yeah, what we saw yesterday afternoon on the Great Ocean Road was quite extraordinary and terrifying for the people that have been caught up in it. They had a record amount of rain in a six hour period. That's the highest for any 24-hour period since site records began there in the year 2000. So, that was an extraordinary amount of rain coming off the mountains there. There are now emergency relief centres open in Lorne and Apollo Bay. It's obviously still a pretty dangerous situation and I urge anyone in the area to closely listen to advice from authorities. Our National Emergency Management Agency officials are already embedded in State Control Centre because of the bushfire crisis. I've been in contact with the Premier and Ministers there in regards to bushfires obviously and obviously now this event. So, we'll continue to work with them on what supports might be required now given that flash flooding incident as well.

HOST: You were with the Prime Minister yesterday in Central Queensland visiting the flood affected community of Clermont. We've heard authorities there saying that reported stock losses are in the tens of thousands, that there's extensive damage to fencing and private roads. Is this new funding package that the government has announced going to be enough given the extent of that destruction?

MCBAIN: The monsoonal rains which caused flooding in North-West Queensland have been exacerbated now by ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji and that's a big concern. So, that town of Clermont was significantly impacted because of the rains from ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji. There are some ongoing impacts. We know already that livestock losses are going to be significant because of the flooding event in North-West Queensland. Already we've got farmers across that Isaac region that still haven't been able to get a full understanding of what those losses may be. But we do know from having a look around yesterday with the Mayor Kelly Vea Vea of the Isaac Regional Council that there are a number of impacts to private property, including fencing, but there's also a number of impacts to council roads across the region as well. We will continue to work with Queensland on what additional supports may be required. But yesterday we announced an additional $26.6 million, bringing our total Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements with Queensland to more than $66 million, which covers that monsoonal flooding and now ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji. That was a wraparound support package for primary producers, small business grants, a mental health program to assist people and also a relief fund for council for their immediate cleanup needs. We know that that may change though as we get some more data and we’re working with Queensland on what those additional losses may be. So, we'll continue to work with the Queensland government and local councils across that area to see what else might be needed.

HOST: The Queensland Premier has criticised the Bureau of Meteorology's rain gauges. He's argued faults meant there wasn't enough information made available during the disaster. Were graziers let down by problems with that system?

MCBAIN: Flood gauges are really important for people to understand what is coming. It's really important to understand that they are maintained into the long term. And unfortunately we've got flood gauges right across the country that are owned by a range of different entities. Whether they're state governments, local councils, there are private entities that own them. We put in nearly $232 million to upgrade a range of them and also to look at having them in one ownership to make sure that people can rely on the data that's coming out of them, make sure that they're maintained. And there's a rolling program there. So, we'll look at how we can work with the Queensland government because it is really important that they are maintained, that they are usable. But everyone at the moment has got a role in that because as I said, the ownership is in multiple entities at this point.

HOST: Just turning back to Victoria and the bushfires there, there have been accusations that the country fire authority, the CFA, has been underfunded by the state government. Do you have any concerns about the CFA's preparedness?

MCBAIN: I think it's really important that after any event that there is a post event review and I understand the Victorian Government have announced that they will also undertake a review following the fire season. I do know from having some conversations with the chief fire officer that additional dollars were requested in the lead up to this season and they were granted, but I think that's really important to understand. You know, back in November, all of the forecasts warned of a really difficult fire season in Victoria and we had some catastrophic bushfire days and we've obviously seen the outcome of that. So, I think it's important that Victoria do their review from a federal perspective. Every year we run a national preparedness summit in September and we bring together all of the emergency agencies across the country, as well as industry, to get an understanding of how they're preparing for the season and what we can do to supplement them. We've had our national coordination mechanism in place now for a period of time, which enables us to pull in those emergency agencies and industry to make sure that we're covering off on all bases in response and recovery. But I think it will be important at the end of this season to understand how communities were prepared and how the season ended up for Victoria.

HOST: On Radio National Breakfast, my guest is the Federal Emergency Management Minister, Kristy McBain. Minister, the Coalition and the Greens have raised serious concerns about the hate speech and gun control laws being put forward next week to Parliament in the wake of the Bondi attack. Has the government mishandled this?

MCBAIN: We saw Australia's worst terrorist event take place just a little over a month ago and the Coalition called for Parliament to resume in the days after it and to pass legislation immediately. The view was that it needed to be robust legislation that is capable of withstanding judiciary and getting outcomes for local communities. And now we're seeing the time that it's taken to draft that legislation to ensure it is robust. And the Coalition still saying, well, now saying, that it's rushed and that it's going to happen too quickly. So they can't get their lines straight on it. I think what's important is, following any major event in this country, Australians want to see their politicians and parliaments coming together to make sure that they're getting the tone of the discussion right, that we are doing things that will make a difference in the lives of people and that we are responding to what's happened in this country. So the Coalition and the Greens should be working with government. The Prime Minister has said he's open to amendments. He wants to make sure that this legislation is right. You know, we've taken the time to coordinate with a range of different groups and legal experts to make sure that this legislation covers off on a range of things that are of concern to people and so I think it's up to the Coalition and the Greens now to work with the government on how we can make sure that this legislation is robust, that it does address concerns in our community, and that it is an appropriate response to the tragedy that we've seen in Bondi.

HOST: Given the level of concern, though, should Parliament be given more time to consider this bill rather than trying to pass it on Tuesday as the Prime Minister had hoped?

MCBAIN: What the Prime Minister has done is made sure that that draft exposure went out to the Coalition and the Greens early. There's obviously been that parliamentary inquiry that's taking place at the moment in regards to those laws. As I said, we're open to amendments, we want to work with people. And I understand that the member for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, it has put forward a number of proposed amendments. So, you know, we want this legislation to work and parliamentarians are there to do a job and that is make sure legislation is appropriate for the Australian community. So, people need to come together on this.

HOST: Minister, thanks for your time.

MCBAIN: Thank you