Emergency Management Australia (EMA) has urged Australians to prepare for the upcoming summer disaster season which officially commenced this month.
Minister for Emergency Management, David Littleproud said Local, State, Territory and Federal Agencies were well-prepared to support communities through natural disasters, including from the initial response and relief phase through to long-term recovery.
“Since the horrific bushfires last summer, the Government has been working to bolster Australia’s ability to respond to and recover from crises including natural disasters and the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Mr Littleproud said.
“The next challenge is to make sure we are all prepared for the disaster risks facing us over the coming season,” he said.
“Significant grass and vegetation growth over winter combined with higher than average temperatures across the southern part of Australia means we are looking at the very real potential for a bad grass fire season.”
Mr Littleproud said that in the north, La Nina conditions could bring a worse than average storm, cyclone and flood season.
He said that over the past two weeks EMA had been holding operational briefings with police, fire authorities and emergency service Agencies in every State and Territory in order to prepare for the disaster season.
“While we can work with authorities to properly prepare, it’s also critical families, households and individuals do what they can to prepare themselves,” he said.
“By planning ahead, people can reduce the risk of injury and damage to property.”
Mr Littleproud said information on how to prepare for disasters was available through State and Territory Authorities.
