Funding to meet bushfire clean-up costs

• State and Federal Governments to cover cost of clean-up for properties destroyed or damaged in the Parkerville bush fire
• Assistance provided under the Commonwealth-WA Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements

Federal Attorney-General, Senator the Hon George Brandis QC, and Western Australian Acting Premier Kim Hames today announced that they would make additional funds available to clean up the properties destroyed in the Parkerville bushfire at the weekend.

"The demolition of burnt-out buildings is a major task and the State and Federal Governments will meet the cost of cleaning up the sites to ensure that the process is as swift as possible," Dr Hames said.

"We want to do what we can to aid in the recovery process and enable people to get on with their lives."

The Acting Premier said the likely presence of asbestos and other hazardous materials in the majority of sites also complicated what would already be a costly and difficult task.

Senator Brandis said the assistance was being provided under the jointly-funded Commonwealth-WA Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (WANDRRA).

"This assistance will provide clean-up support to people whose homes have been destroyed or damaged by the bushfires," Senator Brandis said.

"One of the most significant early challenges for a community that has been affected by a disaster is the immediate clean-up, and the quicker this can happen, the quicker the recovery begins."

Dr Hames said without government help to cover the cost of clean-up, property owners would need to meet this expense from insurance policies, reducing the amount available to residents to rebuild their homes.

"We want to help ensure a co-ordinated clean-up process to get the recovery of these communities under way as quickly as possible," he said.

The State Government played a key role in organising and funding the clean-up of sites following the Perth Hills fire in 2011.  In that case local government organised a contractor to clear all sites and the State and Federal Governments reimbursed the costs. 

The Acting Premier said that assisting with the clean-up after bushfires was an important role for governments and, with the co-operation of insurers, there could be genuine benefit and easing of difficulties for property owners.

"The priority is to support residents in dealing with some of the financial consequences of this fire, help speed-up the recovery process for the community and to ensure the work is carried out safely to reduce public health risks from potential asbestos or poison contamination," he said.

People wishing to access this assistance should register an interest with the Shire of Mundaring which will work with them to put in place the necessary arrangements.

         Fact File

• On Monday Dr Hames announced that, in addition to the immediate assistance available to affected residents through the Department of Child Protection and Family Support, the State Government would make a $3,000 payment immediately available to householders who had lost their homes and $1,000 to people whose houses had been damaged but not destroyed

• This is in addition to the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment which provides eligible people with a payment of $1,000 per adult and $400 for each child

• The Western Australian Government has also donated $1million to the Lord Mayor's Distress Relief Fund

• Information about the range of assistance measures available can be found at http://www.dfes.wa.gov.au  or on the Australian Government's Disaster Assist website at http://www.disasterassist.gov.au  

Prremier's office - 6552 5000