Mr ELFERINK - 2001-02-27
Over recent times in the Top End we have seen some very serious flooding which has quite profoundly affected the lives of many Territorians. Can the minister outline what further assistance he is planning to provide for the people of the Northern Territory affected by this flooding?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it seems that we have another blatant misrepresentation of the facts in the House, and you would have thought that they would have learned their lesson. They have many priors in relation to their inability to be truthful with Territorians and this is another demonstration of that. That is a very sad reflection of the way they behave.
You would have also thought that they might have had a bit of concern, either in Question Time today or the last few days, last week, to seek some advice in relation to those people who are affected by flooding across the Northern Territory.
In response to the question from the member for Macdonnell, I can advise those people who are concerned about how they are going to get their lives together again, the few houses that were flooded in Borroloola, notwithstanding that it was only a small number of them, it is a very large impact on those people who are affected, and indeed across to Kalkarindji and Daguragu. Although there were no flood effects there, they are inconvenienced, and right across to the western parts of the Northern Territory at Mistake Creek.
The government is putting in place natural disaster relief arrangements to assist these people. It is a great sadness that the federal member, Warren Snowdon, indicated last week that the government – because we had not declared a natural disaster - would be not providing this type of assistance to flood affected people. That created a very worrying circumstance for those people. It was most unnecessary. Snowdon knew precisely what the arrangements would be but nonetheless took the political advantage to try to create some concern amongst those people who are already aggravated enough in terms of the experience that they have been through and the loss of property.
The government will be making non-means-tested relief payments of $325 for adults, $162 for children, with the maximum assistance of $817 per eligible family, and that will be provided to flood affected people.
There was a meeting yesterday with the flood recovery group, local representatives and the Kalkarindji Community Government Council. Three options are currently being considered by the communities and they are as to whether to apply that maximum $817 allowance either directly to a family or a group. Another option is to provide it per household - that is by address - or alternatively to provide the funding to the community government council for disbursement within the community on a needs basis. We expect to get advice from those communities today or tomorrow in relation to what option they would prefer.
In addition to that, there is re-establishment assistance for eligible people up to a maximum value of $4810. You would appreciate that the flood waters rose very quickly, people did not have time to remove items from their homes, such as washing machines, fridges, bedding and even clothing and other personal items, and have experienced an almost total loss of those things, with the exception of those clothes in which they stand. From that point of view, we will be providing assistance to replace those items.
It will be in the form of the items, not cash, and bearing in mind the remoteness of the localities we will be making arrangements in replacing the items to have them delivered to the communities. The Department of Transport and Works, Territory Health Services and police have representatives at Kalkarindji today with traditional representatives. They are inspecting homes so that a determination can be made as to what items should be thrown out and what items should be kept.
Today they are also to provide inventories in terms of personal items which have been lost and require replacement and it is on those inventories that we will act to purchase items and have them delivered to the respective communities. The determination of what items are to be thrown out and what items are to be kept will also enable houses to be emptied today of any items. Clean up will commence today, I expect, of houses; complete disinfecting and the other health requirements that will be required. I am pleased to say that, weather permitting - and of course we have no control over that and we are a little bit apprehensive about the low pressure system that is moving westward following Cyclone Abigail that crossed the gulf coast yesterday - we hope to have people returning to their homes in Kalkarindji over the weekend. But, as I say, that will be dependent on weather and progress.
I will be seeking leave at the end of Question Time to provide more detailed advice to the Assembly in relation to the flood circumstances, so that members can be fully appraised of what the circumstances are.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it seems that we have another blatant misrepresentation of the facts in the House, and you would have thought that they would have learned their lesson. They have many priors in relation to their inability to be truthful with Territorians and this is another demonstration of that. That is a very sad reflection of the way they behave.
You would have also thought that they might have had a bit of concern, either in Question Time today or the last few days, last week, to seek some advice in relation to those people who are affected by flooding across the Northern Territory.
In response to the question from the member for Macdonnell, I can advise those people who are concerned about how they are going to get their lives together again, the few houses that were flooded in Borroloola, notwithstanding that it was only a small number of them, it is a very large impact on those people who are affected, and indeed across to Kalkarindji and Daguragu. Although there were no flood effects there, they are inconvenienced, and right across to the western parts of the Northern Territory at Mistake Creek.
The government is putting in place natural disaster relief arrangements to assist these people. It is a great sadness that the federal member, Warren Snowdon, indicated last week that the government – because we had not declared a natural disaster - would be not providing this type of assistance to flood affected people. That created a very worrying circumstance for those people. It was most unnecessary. Snowdon knew precisely what the arrangements would be but nonetheless took the political advantage to try to create some concern amongst those people who are already aggravated enough in terms of the experience that they have been through and the loss of property.
The government will be making non-means-tested relief payments of $325 for adults, $162 for children, with the maximum assistance of $817 per eligible family, and that will be provided to flood affected people.
There was a meeting yesterday with the flood recovery group, local representatives and the Kalkarindji Community Government Council. Three options are currently being considered by the communities and they are as to whether to apply that maximum $817 allowance either directly to a family or a group. Another option is to provide it per household - that is by address - or alternatively to provide the funding to the community government council for disbursement within the community on a needs basis. We expect to get advice from those communities today or tomorrow in relation to what option they would prefer.
In addition to that, there is re-establishment assistance for eligible people up to a maximum value of $4810. You would appreciate that the flood waters rose very quickly, people did not have time to remove items from their homes, such as washing machines, fridges, bedding and even clothing and other personal items, and have experienced an almost total loss of those things, with the exception of those clothes in which they stand. From that point of view, we will be providing assistance to replace those items.
It will be in the form of the items, not cash, and bearing in mind the remoteness of the localities we will be making arrangements in replacing the items to have them delivered to the communities. The Department of Transport and Works, Territory Health Services and police have representatives at Kalkarindji today with traditional representatives. They are inspecting homes so that a determination can be made as to what items should be thrown out and what items should be kept.
Today they are also to provide inventories in terms of personal items which have been lost and require replacement and it is on those inventories that we will act to purchase items and have them delivered to the respective communities. The determination of what items are to be thrown out and what items are to be kept will also enable houses to be emptied today of any items. Clean up will commence today, I expect, of houses; complete disinfecting and the other health requirements that will be required. I am pleased to say that, weather permitting - and of course we have no control over that and we are a little bit apprehensive about the low pressure system that is moving westward following Cyclone Abigail that crossed the gulf coast yesterday - we hope to have people returning to their homes in Kalkarindji over the weekend. But, as I say, that will be dependent on weather and progress.
I will be seeking leave at the end of Question Time to provide more detailed advice to the Assembly in relation to the flood circumstances, so that members can be fully appraised of what the circumstances are.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016