Latest news with #DisasterReliefAustralia
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Anthony Albanese sparks outrage over 'inadequate' response to NSW floods as he touches down in Taree
Anthony Albanese has visited flood-ravaged towns on the NSW Mid North Coast as 70 Australian Defence Force personnel join the clean-up efforts. It's estimated at least 800 homes have been destroyed followed heavy rain across NSW, which caused major flooding and destruction last week. Up to 50,000 people were isolated during the peak of the flooding, with more than 10,000 remain cut off. The death toll of the floods currently stands at five. ADF personnel arrived in the worst-affected areas on Tuesday morning, and will be assisted by veteran-led Disaster Relief Australia. The group will help clear debris, reopen roads and conduct welfare checks on those in the flood zone. Criticism of the federal response to the floods has intensified online, particularly around the number of personnel deployed to assist in the affected regions. 'There's 14 towns with a disaster warning. Why not 7,000?' one person wrote. 'The Australian Army has 28,500 regular personnel, yet only 70 will be sent to aid NSW's flood crisis,' another wrote. 'With 50,000 isolated, this is a woefully inadequate response.' 'Taree is totalled… 70 Army personnel is going to make bugger all difference,' a third commented. The Prime Minister visited Taree on Tuesday to meet with SES and ADF personnel alongside Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain. It came after he addressed the ongoing crisis from the National Situation Room in Canberra where he blamed climate change for the wild weather. Albanese noted that many of the recent floods and storms, previously considered 'once in a century' events, are now occurring with alarming frequency in NSW. 'Science told us that there would be more frequent events and that they would be more intense, and that is what we are seeing playing out with a devastating impact on communities,' he said. 'Most significantly, a devastating human impact, with five lives lost during this event, but also a significant environmental impact and of course a significant economic impact as well.' On the ground, residents in hard-hit areas like Taree are demanding more immediate and practical assistance. Local business owner Jeremy Thornton expressed frustration with the federal government's response and called for real solutions. 'When I am hearing Anthony Albanese talk about climate change, I hope he wants to have the conversation with people that are hurting right now,' he told Sky News. 'They don't want to hear that conversation, they want to hear what their leaders are going to do.' The federal government's disaster response, particularly its use of the ADF, has come under renewed scrutiny. A 2023 Defence Strategic Review, commissioned by the Commonwealth, warned against relying too heavily on the military for domestic disaster relief. 'Defence should be the force of last resort for domestic aid to the civil community, except in extreme circumstances,' the report stated. Instead, it recommended the development of national resilience and coordinated response measures in partnership with state governments to better handle the escalating risks of climate change. While floodwaters have mainly receded, there are concerns over a 'severe' cold front moving through NSW and its impacts on local livestock and residents. A disaster recovery allowance, to cover income for up to 13 weeks for people unable to work due to the disaster opened on Monday for residents in an initial group of four NSW council areas, Kempsey, Port Macquarie Hastings, MidCoast and Dungog. Residents in 19 other council areas are eligible for a personal hardship payment of $180 per adult and up to $900 per family for emergency food, clothing and medicine.
ABC News
27-05-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Veteran-led group helps flooded communities in NSW
The clean up is just beginning after record breaking floods hit northern NSW, with hundreds of homes declared unlivable along a large stretch of coastline. Locals have praised the State Emergency Service and other forces like the police, who send out warnings, rescue people and animals and guarantee safety. But locals in areas like Taree, which was one of the hardest hit, have expressed dismay over a lack of support for the massive clean up effort, which will continue for the days, weeks and even years ahead. A not for profit organisation called Disaster Relief Australia made up of veterans and other volunteers is already helping people with this effort, but its funding beyond the middle of next year is not guaranteed. ABC NewsRadio's Sarah Morice spoke with Chief executive of Disaster Relief Australia David Smith.
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Veteran-led disaster recovery group calls on Albanese for help to build army of 10,000 volunteers
The veteran-led organisation on the frontline of disaster recovery wants federal government support to help establish a 10,000-strong volunteer army. Disaster Relief Australia (DRA) is pushing for a new funding deal to secure its future and grow its force, as it positions itself as an alternative to the Australian defence force in the aftermath of major floods, fires and cyclones. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, on Monday said the organisation did 'amazing work' and the government would 'work with them constructively' – but stopped short of guaranteeing new funding. The not-for-profit DRA, which draws on veterans' skills and experience, is being increasingly utilised to support other volunteers preparing for and recovering from natural disasters. A crew of 100 volunteers is set to join 70 ADF personnel this week to assist with the cleanup operation from the floods on the New South Wales mid-north coast – helping clear debris, reopen roads and conduct welfare checks on residents in the flood zone. But its long-term funding is up in the air, with a three-year, $38.3m federal grant to substantially bolster its ranks due to expire in mid-2026. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email On 6 January, the organisation wrote to Albanese and then opposition leader Peter Dutton, seeking pre-election commitments to fund a new 'national veteran volunteer program (NVVP)' after the old deal ran out. The four-year, $87.5m plan would allow DRA to grow its numbers to 10,000, up from more than 5,500, according to the letter seen by Guardian Australia. Among the organisation's major selling points was its ability to ease the burden on the ADF, which was heavily relied upon during the black summer bushfires and stretched further during the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2023 defence strategic review found the ADF must be the 'force of last resort' to ensure the military could focus on its primary purpose of defending the country. In their letter, DRA said it was the only organisation outside the ADF with a proven capacity to perform in the preparation, relief and recovery phases of a disaster. 'Australia is increasingly challenged by more frequent and severe disasters, which are placing immense pressure on emergency services and often necessitating the use of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) for disaster relief and recovery,' the letter read. 'As climate change intensifies these crises, the reduction per capita in the number of volunteers and emergency services personnel continues and the geo-political situation becomes more uncertain, a strategic shift is needed to build a more disaster resilient nation and reduce the demand on the ADF by investing significantly in dedicated disaster preparedness, relief and recovery capabilities.' The organisation secured a $64.5m funding commitment from the Coalition during the election campaign – but no new pledge from Labor. After Labor's election win, the chief executive of DRA, David Smith, wrote to Albanese and his new minister for emergency management, Kristy McBain, to reiterate the request. 'While support for the … proposal was not the subject of a government announcement during the election, we remain confident of your government's ongoing support for DRA,' Smith wrote. 'Nevertheless, given the expiration of our current grant in March 2026, and the required lead time for operational planning and workforce management, we would like to confirm the government's commitment to fund the NVVP as soon as possible.' The original $38m in funding for DRA was one of Labor's 2022 election commitments. Asked on Monday if the government was considering DRA's recent proposal, Albanese praised the organisation but did not commit to new funding. 'We are strong supporters of Disaster Relief Australia,' the prime minister said. 'They do amazing work, and they are made up, of course, of a lot of former members of the defence force personnel. And just a big shout out to them. We'll continue to work with them constructively.' The defence minister, Richard Marles, said coordination between levels of government and the role of first responders such as the SES was helping to ease the burden on the ADF. 'I think we are getting our policies better as we're moving forward, but when there is a moment when there is a crisis, and that call is made for Defence, Defence will always come,' Marles said. Albanese said the ADF's presence also provided a morale boost to communities. 'From my experience, the presence of ADF personnel on the ground brings enormous confidence to communities that are really doing it tough. It's a sign of how seriously we as a nation are taking what is a catastrophic event,' he said.
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
PM sends army to help clean up after ‘devastating' NSW floods
Seventy Australian Defence Force personnel will be deployed to the NSW mid-north coast to assist with the cleanup from the devastating floods. The troops will be on the ground from Tuesday alongside the veterans-led Disaster Relief Australia, helping to clear debris, reopen roads and conduct welfare checks on residents in the flood zone. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announced the ADF deployments as the massive cleanup operation began for communities across the region. 'Unfortunately we are getting far too much experience in dealing with extreme weather events,' Albanese told a press conference inside the national situation room in Canberra. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email 'Science told us that there would be more frequent events and that they would be more intense, and that is what we are seeing playing out with a devastating impact on communities; most significantly, a devastating human impact, with five lives lost during this event, but also a significant environmental impact, and of course a significant economic impact as well.' After defence helicopters were used to conduct search and rescue operations during the height of the flood emergency, a team of 70 ADF personnel was assembled to provide on-the-ground assistance, with a particular focus on clearing transport routes. The reliance on the ADF in domestic natural disasters has long been a point of contention, with the Defence Strategic Review warning the military must be the 'force of last resort' to avoid stretching its resources. The defence minister, Richard Marles, said coordination between levels of governments and the role of first-responders such as the SES was helping to ease the burden on the ADF. 'I think we are getting our policies better as we're moving forward, but when there is a moment when there is a crisis, and that call is made for Defence, Defence will always come,' Marles said. Albanese said the ADF's presence also provided a morale boost to disaster-ravaged communities. 'From my experience, the presence of ADF personnel on the ground brings enormous confidence to communities that are really doing it tough. It's a sign of how seriously we as a nation are taking what is a catastrophic event,' he said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The ADF personnel were being assisted by a contingent from Disaster Relief Australia, which was due to scale up from 25 to 100 by the end of the week, as well as emergency services personnel from the ACT, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, and New Zealand. While flood waters had receded, federal disaster authorities were concerned about the impact a 'severe' cold front pushing through NSW would have on livestock that were stranded throughout the disaster. Albanese spoke with the NSW premier, Chris Minns, on Monday morning as emergency financial support rolled out for affected residents, small businesses and councils. The commonwealth's disaster recovery allowance – which provides up to 13 weeks of income for people unable to work due to the disaster – was opening at 2pm for residents in an initial group of four NSW council areas: Kempsey, Port Macquarie Hastings, MidCoast and Dungog. Residents in 19 council areas were also eligible for personal hardship payments of $180 per adult and up to $900 per family for emergency food, clothing and medicines. A $1m fund for councils to cover cleanup costs and a package of support for primary producers – which would include concessional loans and freight subsidies – was also expected to be approved at a federal cabinet meeting on Monday.
Sky News AU
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Sky News AU
Dozens of ADF personnel to assist recovery efforts in flood affected NSW Mid North Coast communities after PM confirms additional support
Dozens of Australian Defence Force personnel are being deployed to the New South Wales Mid North Coast to help with recovery efforts in flood-affected communities. Anthony Albanese confirmed on Monday that the federal government was providing on the ground clean-up support, in addition to financial assistance for residents. The Prime Minister made the announcement from the national situation room in Canberra ahead of a visit back to communities devastated by last week's deadly flooding. "From tomorrow, we will have 70 Australian Defence Force personnel on the ground in the Mid North Coast, helping with recovery, helping with clean-up as well," he said. "As well as that, there'll be a team from Disaster Relief Australia, 25 initially. There'll be 100 personnel from DRA on the ground by the end of this week to provide assistance. "They will be involved in clean-up, in debris removal, in welfare checks and re-establishing critical infrastructure that is so important for these communities." The government previously said residents most severely impacted by the flooding would have access to the Disaster Recovery Allowance, with other financial support offered. "The Disaster Recovery Allowance is up to 13 weeks of income support for those who've lost work due to this event in the four most severely affected local government areas," Mr Albanese said. "Eligible individuals can apply from 2pm today through the myGov app or through the Services Australia website. The personal hardship payments are going out, $180 for eligible adults and up to $900 per family in the 19 affected local government areas. "The community recovery support fund is immediately available - $1 million for these 19 councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and repairing damage and that funding is available immediately. "For primary producers and small businesses, concessional rate loans, as well as freight subsidies to help transport livestock and fodder will be available as well. We'll continue to monitor what is necessary and we will ensure that the government does have your back if you're in these affected communities." The 19 council areas include Armidale, Bellingen, Central Coast, Cessnock, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Dungog, Kempsey, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, MidCoast, Muswellbrook, Nambucca, Newcastle, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Port Stephens, Singleton, Upper Hunter and Walcha. Mr Albanese visited Maitland in the Hunter Valley on Friday to meet with SES personnel and provide an update on the floods but said he will travel further north to where the flooding was most severe. "Tomorrow, I'll travel to visit affected communities, and to see first hand again what the impact is having," he said. "Can I say for those people who've lost loved ones, my heart goes out to you. "This is a devastating impact and we need to... continually remind people, if it's flooded, forget it. Do not take risks. There are still risks out there." Five people died in the flooding disaster. Tens of thousands of residents were cut off and left without electricity, while initial estimates indicate 10,000 properties have been damaged by the floods, which most severely impacted Taree and areas around Port Macquarie. "Unfortunately, we are getting far too much experience in dealing with extreme weather events. The science told us that there would be more frequent events and that they would be more intense," Mr Albanese said. "That is what we are seeing playing out with the devastating impact on communities, most significantly a devastating human impact with five lives lost during this event, but also a significant environmental impact and of course, a significant economic impact as well."
