Bushfire Relief and Recovery

Our country is facing devastating and widespread national bushfires.
They have been burning throughout the country for months now but today is shaping up as our most challenging day, with a state of emergency declared in NSW and Victoria while Tasmania and South Australia also face significant threats.
We are well prepared, well organised and well resourced, but we are also realistic: These fire conditions are unprecedented, and the challenge is formidable. If fierce conditions prevail, today could be a dark day for our country.
The rapidly escalating damage and the heart-breaking human cost calls for nothing less than an all-out response. The task in front of our country today and in the weeks ahead requires us to do whatever it takes; to not only fight the fires and protect lives, but ensure our fire-affected communities are well-resourced and functioning, and evacuations can be affected quickly and effectively. And when the fire threat has finally diminished, that we have the tools and personnel to reopen and rebuild.
Following today’s meeting of the National Security Committee, the Morrison Government is:

  • Enacting a compulsory Call-Out of Australian Defence Force Reserve Brigades for the first time in the country’s history, together with specialist personnel,
  • Deploying HMAS Adelaide to support the efforts of HMAS Choules and MV Sycamore, as well as additional Chinook helicopters, C-17 Globemasters, C-130 Hercules and C-27 Spartans, and
  • Leasing a fleet of extra waterbombing planes for the states and territories to deploy

It will mean boots on the ground, planes in the sky and ships out at sea all supporting the bushfire fighting effort and recovery.
We continue to support the states to run the operational response and we will continue to act on every request we receive for further assistance.
In recent months ADF resources have been deployed in response to state requests – from the operational base at Canungra in Queensland in September, to the 2,000 personnel already deployed to support with logistics, evacuations, catering, accommodation and clearing, our Air Force helping transport firefighters, Defence bases being used as refuelling and staging sites and HMAS Albatross assisting with water and fire retardant reloading.
We have also been listening to the people on the ground in these fire-affected areas and we are unilaterally changing the posture of the ADF to proactively mobilise and position our resources where we expect they will be needed most.
Through the authority of the Governor-General, the Government has directed the Australian Defence Force surge to bring every possible capability to bear by deploying Army Reserve Brigades to fire-affected communities across Australia.
Australians have watched with admiration as our emergency services have dealt with the fires and extreme weather events engulfing much of the country. We have their backs.
Two-Star Emergency ADF National Support Coordinator Major General Justin Ellwood will have national authority over the ADF Joint Task Forces in each affected state working in cooperation with and to support state emergency authorities.
The priority for this deployment is to assist in ensuring the safety of life, support the evacuation of affected people from isolated communities, provide assistance to isolated communities and support State-managed evacuation centres.
The ADF surge includes the deployment of up to 3,000 designated ADF Reserve forces including the 4th Brigade from Victoria, the 5th Brigade from New South Wales, and the 9th Brigade from South Australia and Tasmania and specialist logistic elements of the 17th Brigade headquartered in New South Wales to push Defence resources into fire-affected areas progressively, and in coordination with State authorities, from as early as tomorrow. These Brigades will be enhanced with specialist ADF personnel with skills in engineering, medical, logistics and transport support.
Following the Prime Minister’s conversation with the Chief of the Defence Force on New Year’s Eve, the HMAS Adelaide, the Navy’s largest amphibious ship, has been readied to join HMAS Choules and MV Sycamore in supporting evacuation of citizens from fire affected areas along our coast line. HMAS Adelaide will sail from Sydney this afternoon, and will be located offshore from the fire affected areas tomorrow afternoon. The Adelaide is fully equipped for disaster relief and humanitarian aid and is able to operate all ADF helicopters, 400 crew including medical staff as well as 300 tonnes of emergency relief supplies.
The Government has ordered relevant ADF air lift and reconnaissance capacity to pre-position to RAAF Base East Sale, which will remain the central hub for the Defence response in southern areas.
From tomorrow an additional three Chinook helicopters from Townsville, will be deployed over the coming week to support a range of resupply, evacuation and transport tasks across the breadth of the affected areas. An additional C-17 Globemaster, two C-130 Hercules and three C-27 Spartans will also be pre-positioned to East Sale.
For people in short term evacuation distress, other Defence bases from Brisbane to Adelaide will provide temporary transit accommodation and support arrangements.
This is a major step-up in ADF involvement and assistance and demonstrates our absolute commitment to supporting states to fight the fires, and to immediately swing into disaster recovery operations as soon as the fire-front has passed.
Following a request from the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council at 8pm yesterday for one additional waterbombing aircraft, today we have also committed $20 million to lease four extra planes to fulfil that request and to meet any further requests – two long-range fixed wing DC-10s with 36,000 litres capacity and two medium-range fixed-wing Large Air Tankers with 11,000 litre capacity. The Commonwealth will fully fund the leasing costs with operational costs to be shared with states and territories as usual.
From the heart-breaking loss of life to the destruction wrought on towns and communities, businesses, farms, livestock, homes and our wildlife, the impact of these bushfires has left deep financial, emotional, mental and environmental scars.
We are conscious of the enormous challenge of rebuilding these devastated communities. Australians are resilient and want to rebuild – and we will be with them every step of the way.
The Government has already processed 20,600 claims for assistance this bushfire season and delivered nearly $25 million in Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment and Disaster Recovery Allowance as well as deployed Mobile Service Centres and extended Centrelink’s phone hours including opening them this weekend. But, as with the floods and drought, we can and will ensure communities and businesses have the helping hand they need. The Government will detail further work to aid the recovery in coming days.
Our government’s entire focus is on supporting Australians in this difficult time – those facing immediate danger and those who are recovering after the fire-front has passed.
The Prime Minister has postponed his state visit to India and his official visit to Japan to stay close to the disaster and recovery operations underway in Australia. We deeply appreciate the arrangements that India and Japan have made to date and look forward to rescheduling the visits at a mutually convenient time in the coming months.
Everywhere across the country in the communities we visit we see the absolute devastation and despair these bushfires have wrought. What we have also seen is the best of Australians coming together, supporting one another.
We urge Australians to keep informed about the situation in their area and to follow the directions of state and territory authorities and the ADF as they work to keep people safe.
We will do whatever it takes to get Australians through these terrible times.
Full details on the ADF’s operations to date are available at https://news.defence.gov.au/national/defence-boosts-bushfire-support.

PREMIER APPOINTS RECOVERY COORDINATOR FOR SOUTHERN NSW

Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Acting Minister for Police and Emergency Services Anthony Roberts today announced the appointment of Mr Dick Adams as Recovery Coordinator for Southern NSW.
Fires have already significantly impacted many communities across Northern NSW and recovery operations have been underway there since Mr Euan Ferguson began as Recovery Coordinator for the region in early November.
More recent fires have devastated communities in Southern NSW and it is appropriate that an additional Recovery Coordinator is appointed to work with local government and communities to ensure they can get back on their feet as quickly as possible.
“The fires in Southern NSW have devastated many communities. They will have our full support in the days, weeks, months and even years ahead as they recover from these tragic events,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“While damage assessments are ongoing and hampered by active fires, it is clear that many properties have been destroyed and it is appropriate to appoint Mr Adams immediately to ensure recovery operations begin as soon as possible.”
Mr Roberts said Mr Adams’ stewardship would ensure a coordinated and consistent recovery effort.
“Mr Adams retired as a Deputy Commissioner after 35 years in the NSW Police Force. He was a former State Emergency Operations Controller and has extensive experience as a recovery coordinator having led the bushfire recovery efforts in Wyong, Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens in 2013,” Mr Roberts said.
If you have been impacted by the bushfires and require emergency support, please contact the Disaster Welfare Line on 1800 018 444.

Woman blows 0.213 after crash – Port Stephens-Hunter PD

A Hunter woman has been charged with high-range drink-driving after returning a breath analysis more than four times the legal limit.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were on Richardson Road at Salt Ash about 9.30pm (Saturday 4 January 2020), when they saw a vehicle crashed into a drainage culvert.
The 29-year-old female driver was arrested and taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station where she underwent a breath analysis, returning an alleged reading of 0.213.
She was issued with a Court Attendance Notice (CAN) for high-range PCA and her driver’s licence was suspended.
She is due to appear in Raymond Terrace Local Court on Monday 20 January 2020.

Community Recovery Assistance Extended for Bushfire-Affected Communities in Southern NSW

  • Additional council areas in Southern NSW to access Federal-State community recovery funding bringing the total support to more than $80 million.
  • Recovery grants of up to $15,000 for farmers and small businesses
  • Funding for additional mental health support and local led economic and community resilience initiatives

Community recovery assistance has been extended for bushfire-hit communities in the Bega Valley, Eurobodalla, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Shoalhaven, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys and Mid-Western council areas.
Minister for Natural Disaster and Emergency Management David Littleproud said up to $18.1 million in new money has been made available to extend community recovery assistance under the jointly funded Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
“This will give farmers and small businesses recovery grants of up to $15,000,” Minister Littleproud said.
“The money will help farmers and small businesses clean-up, repair damages and replace stock.
“Getting back to business is one of the best ways to recover.
“These recovery grants will help businesses reopen so people can get back to work sooner.
“When money flows around a community it can help to speed up the whole recovery.
“Mental health services will get a $4.5 million boost so they can support communities, volunteers and emergency services staff in these areas.
“This takes the total assistance provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements to more than $80 million.
“The Federal Government will stand by these communities until they’re back on their feet and will make further assistance available as it is needed.”
Acting NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services Anthony Roberts said that there is a broad range of assistance available to bushfire affected communities.
“There is support for people who are suffering personal hardship; help for people whose homes have been damaged; and funding for firefighting operations and to restore damaged essential public assets,” Mr Roberts said.
“Importantly, the NSW and Commonwealth governments are not only committed to helping affected communities with their recovery but also making them more resilient to future disasters.
“That’s why we’ve allocated funding to support these communities by extending the NSW Bushfires Economic Recovery and Community Resilience Grants Program.
“If we need to extend these community recovery measures to other areas we will do so.”
The community recovery assistance program is being jointly funded by the Commonwealth and NSW governments through the DRFA.
To apply for a recovery grant, contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit www.raa.nsw.gov.au
For information on personal hardship and distress assistance, contact the Disaster Welfare Assistance Line on 1800 018 444.

Statement on cleanliness of Newcastle Ocean Baths

newc-baths_2-(1).jpgThe Summer cleaning schedule at Newcastle Ocean Baths has remained unchanged for the past decade. Further, cleaning hours for staff at the baths have not been reduced.
Several days prior to Christmas, a purpose built component of the system used to control the flow of water in and out of the baths failed. As a result, the cleaning team is opening and flushing the water levels daily (timing is dependent on the tide), and the pumps are on whenever the tide is high enough to perform water filtration.
While a replacement part was ordered the same day as the breakdown, the Christmas holiday period has delayed its arrival. It’s expected the new part will be installed by 10 January.
Cleaning crews will be on site tomorrow morning from 4am to ensure that the baths are in the best condition possible for the forecasted high temperatures on the weekend.
As experienced every summer heavy crowds will have an impact on water conditions with daily flushing continuing until further cleaning later next week.

Hydroponic setup, cannabis plants located in Hunter Valley homes

Two people will face court today after a hydroponic setup and cannabis plants were located at homes across the Hunter Valley.
About 9am yesterday (Thursday 2 January 2020), emergency services were called to a home on First Street, Weston, following reports the building was well alight.
Fire and Rescue NSW crews extinguished the blaze a short time later.
Upon inspection of the home, crews located a hydroponic setup within the property and contacted police.
Officers attached to Hunter Valley Police District attended, established a crime scene and commenced an investigation.
Following further inquiries, police attended a home on William Street, Abermain, and located a 52-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman, who were both identified as being unlawful citizens.
They were arrested and taken to Cessnock Police Station.
Police then executed three search warrants at homes on First Street, Weston, and William Street, Abermain, late yesterday (Thursday 2 January 2020), and at Mount View Road, Cessnock, about 11am today (Friday 3 January 2020).
During these searches, police located and seized more than 500 cannabis plants, several kilograms of cannabis and drug paraphernalia.
The 52-year-old man has been charged with cultivate prohibited plant larger than commercial quantity, possess prohibited plant greater than indictable quantity, and deal with the proceeds of crime.
The 54-year-old woman has been charged with cultivate prohibited plant larger than commercial quantity, and possess prohibited plant,
They were refused bail to face Newcastle Local Court today (Friday 3 January 2020).
Investigations are continuing.

Man charged after alleged armed robbery – Teralba

A man will face court today charged with an alleged armed robbery at Lake Macquarie yesterday.
About 6.30am on Thursday 2 January 2020, it’s alleged a 31-year-old man entered a service station on York Street, Teralba, and threatened an attendant with a knife.
He demanded cash before he fled the scene on foot north along York Street.
A short time later, officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District located a man fitting the description of the alleged offender walking along William Street, Teralba.
Following investigations conducted at the scene and nearby, the man was arrested and taken to Toronto Police Station.
He was charged with robbery armed with an offensive weapon and possess prohibited drug.
He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Friday 3 January 2020).

IEDs, weapons and ammunition seized; man charged – Cessnock

A man has been charged after two improvised explosive devices, weapons and ammunition were located at a home in Cessnock earlier this week.
On Sunday 29 December 2019, officers attached to Hunter Valley Police District arrested a 35-year-old man on Melbourne Street, Aberdare, in relation to an outstanding domestic incident and an alleged aggravated break and enter.
He was taken to the Mater Hospital for treatment to heat stroke and other injuries.
Then about 10am on Monday 30 December 2019, police attended a property on Carrol Avenue, Cessnock, for an unrelated incident where they allegedly located two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and ammunition.
Officers from Hunter Valley Police District then executed a search warrant at the home where they allegedly located and seized ammunition, scopes, a silencer, gun magazines, a rifle, a taser and gun powder.
Specialist police were called to examine the items, which were deemed safe.
The 35-year-old remains in hospital, where yesterday (Wednesday 1 January 2020) he was charged with several driving and domestic-related offences.
Today (Thursday 2 January 2020), he was charged with a further 10 offences, including:
Possess unauthorised firearm
Possess ammunition without holding permit
Make/manufacture explosive/gun powder with intent to injure (x2)
Possess explosive/gunpowder with intent to injure etc (x2)
Possess or use a prohibited weapon (x4)
He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court tomorrow (Friday 3 January 2020).

Police investigate armed robbery of grocery store – Raymond Terrace

Police are appealing for information following an armed robbery of a business in Raymond Terrace today.
About 12pm (Wednesday 1 January 2020), a man entered a grocery store on Benjamin Lee Drive and approached the counter.
The man, armed with a small axe, instructed a female attendant to open the cash register, and she complied.
The man stole cash before fleeing on foot across Benjamin Lee Drive in a south westerly direction.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were called and established a crime scene.
The man is described as being of Caucasian appearance, aged between 16 and 20 years old and 170 to 175cm tall. He was last seen wearing a grey hoodie pulled over his head, black track pants, black slip on canvass shoes, yellow gloves and had his face covered. He was carrying a small black backpack.
Anyone with information about this man or this incident are urged to contact Raymond Terrace Police Station on 02 4983 7599 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Greens call for Emergency Summit, Royal Commission into Bushfire Crisis

The bushfires devastating communities across regional New South Wales and Victoria require an emergency response from the Government that not only addresses the fires currently burning but also tackles the root cause of those fires and the fires yet to come – the climate crisis, driven by the burning of fossil fuels like coal – said Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale.
“It’s tragic that on the first day of the New Year some people will be grieving the loss of loved ones, have family and friends missing or waking up homeless. Our hearts go out to those who have lost their lives and property in this latest tragedy and for the huge ecological damage and loss of native and domestic animals. There are no adequate words to describe the loss that many people in regional communities right around Australia are experiencing today,” Di Natale said.
“This is a moment of truth for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who is failing in his basic duty to keep our citizens safe from harm.  His totally inadequate response to these fires and his obstinate refusal to accept what we have known for decades: that burning climate changing fossil fuels would lead to more frequent and intense bushfires is putting the lives of Australians at risk.”
“What is absolutely crystal clear is that we are in an emergency and it’s time that the Prime Minister accepted that fact. He should immediately convene an emergency summit, as proposed by former-Fire Chief Mullins, to ensure that everything is being done to address the immediate crisis.”
“We must also accept that Australia’s climate has changed and we need to make sure that our land management, disaster response and climate policies are relevant to the new reality we face.
“That is why the Greens are calling on the Prime Minister to immediately declare a Royal Commission into the bushfire crisis. If he refuses to do so, we will be moving for a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry with Royal Commision-like powers as soon as Parliament returns.”
“While we need a national response to the bushfire crisis, any process that does not have at its heart a commitment to phase out fossil fuels like coal and rapidly transition to a renewable energy economy is doomed to fail from the start.”
“We need to anticipate and prepare for these emergencies, but we also need to go to the root cause which is the burning of fossil fuels that is dangerously heating our planet. The Morrison Government has their heads in the sand and Labor still won’t  take a stand on the mining, burning and export of coal that is fueling these fires.”
”We are in a climate emergency and we again call on the government to act immediately by:

  1. Phasing out coal, oil and methane gas to ensure pollution reduction targets are consistent with science.
  2. Supporting the rapid transition to a renewable energy economy that will produce tens of thousands of new jobs
  3. Commit to convening an emergency summit and investing significantly to ensure we have all the available resources for the current emergency.
  4. Calling a Royal Commission to address all elements of these fires, from land management and national disaster responses to climate change and mitigation.

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In the lead up to the Federal election, and in the aftermath of devastating bush fires in Tasmania and floods in Queensland, the Greens called for a major investment to create a National Disaster Response Unit with the capacity to respond to emergencies like the fires we are seeing now in NSW and Queensland. The Unit would consist of rapid response aircraft and vehicles, and up to 200 people trained in all aspects of disaster response from remote area fire-fighting to flood rescue.
National Disaster Response Unit policy announcement