GOVERNMENT REVIEW PUTS FLOOD AND FIRE REBUILDING AT RISK Abbott Government’s Productivity Commission review on Natural Disaster Funding has raised further uncertainty over communities getting rebuilt after floods, fires or cyclones. The review ordered by Treasurer Joe Hockey recommends lower federal funding for individuals, small business and primary producers and well as less money to rebuild damaged roads, bridges and vital community infrastructure. The Federal Member for Blair, Shayne Neumann, said the Abbott Government needed to immediately respond to the report to give certainty to Australians headed into summer. “Going into storm and fire season it is unacceptable for Tony Abbott to leave Federal Government help for impacted communities in doubt,” Mr Neumann said. “When natural disasters strike it isn’t a time for penny pinching – it is a time for governments to pitch in with immediate help, from the family home to the major highways. This report puts that all into doubt. “If some of these recommendations were implemented Queensland alone would have been short changed by $4 billion after the two massive summers of disasters in recent years. That means less roads rebuilt, fewer small businesses and farmers supported and families left in the lurch. “Pushing the burden onto the state and local councils could mean one of two things, less rebuilding or higher state taxes and council rates.” The Report recommends: - Cutting family assistance and small business and primary producer concessional loans and grants; - Reducing the Federal Government’s contribution to rebuilding major infrastructure; - Making it harder for infrastructure damage to qualify for any federal assistance; - Cutting back the Australian Government Disaster Relief Payment, an immediate $1000 for individuals to get back on their feet. Mr Neumann said that cyclones, floods and fires didn’t respect state or council borders when they strike, making rebuilding is a shared responsibility. “We saw it all too clearly here in Ipswich and the Somerset Region in 2011 and again in 2013 - when disasters strike, Federal Governments have to offer a helping hand not the back of their hand,” Mr Neumann said. Tony Abbott and Campbell Newman have form in trying to cut the rebuilding after natural disasters. Abbott’s Government’s Commission of Audit recommended savage cuts that would have left more than 4300km of roads and 1550km of railway lines in doubt after the 2011 and 2013 Queensland disasters. Further, as Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott voted against rebuilding Queensland by trying to block the modest flood levy When Campbell Newman was elected to office, one of his first acts was to put the Queensland Reconstruction Authority on the chopping block. “Recovery projects put at risk by LNP policy review” Courier Mail 17 September 2012 Labor will fight to ensure the Federal Government continues to protect Australians throughout the upcoming storm and bushfire seasons.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 02:15:57 +0000
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