The annual fight against bushfires across the nation is to receive a major boost with Prime Minister, Scott Morrison announcing increased funding, a new national fire rating program and a community alert system with a new office established to expand a Public Safety Mobile Broadband trial across the country.
Mr Morrison said $26 million in funding would help support Australians confronting the challenges of natural hazards and reduce the impact those hazards had on communities and the economy.
“We will also deliver funding to States and Territories for a range of national emergency management projects and natural disaster resilience initiatives,” Mr Morrison said.
He said that among the funding, $5.85 million would go to the implementation of a new National Fire Danger Rating System; $5 million to establish the Prepared Communities Fund to support high-priority State or Territory initiatives; and $1.5 million would be used to expand a Public Safety Mobile Broadband trial and establish the National Project Office to implement the technology.
Mr Morrison said $750,000 would be used to review new and emerging telephone-based emergency warning technologies which would support the introduction of a new emergency alert warning system.
“We cannot always prevent natural hazards, but we can prepare for them and ensure that we are able to respond in the most effective way,” Mr Morrison said.
