Exclusive: Department’s brief said that ‘coordinated national action’ was needed to ward off increasing disruptions
Home affairs warned Australian government of “more frequent and severe heatwaves, bushfires, floods, and cyclones”. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AP |
The department’s incoming government brief to the home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, warned of “disasters” exacerbated by climate change.
“The physical effects of climate change, population growth, and urbanisation mean that without effective action more Australians’ livelihoods will be impacted by disasters into the future and the cost of those disasters will continue to grow,” the brief stated.
“Coordinated national action to drive efforts to reduce these risks and improve national resilience is required.”
The brief, obtained under freedom of information, said disasters were only going to get worse.
“Life in Australia is increasingly disrupted by disasters. Australians will experience – as we did this summer – more frequent and severe heatwaves, bushfires, floods, and cyclones. These will increasingly occur concurrently.”
The brief quoted Deloitte Access Economics figures putting the cost of disasters to the Australian economy at $18.2bn a year, rising to $39bn by 2050.
Scott Morrison has ruled out a change in climate policy in response to the bushfire crisis. Since returning to Australia from a holiday in Hawaii on Saturday night, Morrison has been touring fire-affected regions of New South Wales.
While those defending the prime minister’s decision to take leave have frequently referred to the bushfire and disaster response as primarily a state issue, a chart put together by the department in the brief puts the prime minister on equal footing with state premiers and chief ministers when it comes to crisis coordination arrangements.
Incoming government brief for home affairs showing crisis coordination arrangements. Photograph: Home Affairs |
“The Australian government provides support to the states and territories when coordinated assistance is requested [or] jointly manages a crisis with state and territories if the crisis has the potential to affect, or has affected multiple jurisdictions.”
The document said the federal government had responsibility for a national crisis coordination centre for hazard monitoring across the country, as well as responsibility for the national aerial firefighting centre.
In April the government set up the national disaster risk reduction framework with $130.6m set out over five years to help state and territory governments implement the strategies in the framework.
The framework identifies climate risk as part of the overall national disaster risk, but strategies are focused on identifying potential disaster risks and collecting data on disasters, rather than specific action on climate change.
Links
- Scott Morrison returns from holiday and signals no change to climate policy despite bushfires crisis
- National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework (pdf)
- (AU) Why Australia’s Prime Minister Just Defended Coal, Even Though The Country Is ‘On Fire’ And Voters Fear Climate Change
- (AU) Australia’s Bushfires Have Exposed Its Leaders’ Failings
- (AU) Australia Fires: PM Rejects 'Reckless' Calls To Limit Coal Industry
- 'How Is This Possible?': Greta Thunberg Weighs In On Australia's Bushfire Crisis
- (AU) Can Morrison's 'She'll Be Right' Strategy On Climate Work Forever?
- (AU) Prime Minister, You Need A Credible Climate Policy. It's Too Dangerous To Keep Pretending You Have One
- (AU) Australia 'Absolutely' Must Take More Action On Climate Change: Michael McCormack
- (AU) 'Climate Is Changing': Historical Maps Show It's Getting Hotter And Drier
- (AU) Scientists Fear Surge In Supersized Bushfires That Create Their Own Violent Thunderstorms
- (AU) Australia Just Keeps Embarrassing Itself When It Comes To Climate Change
- (AU) Climate Change Has Cut Australian Farm Profits By 22% A Year Over Past 20 Years, Report Says
- (AU) Governments Must Act On Public Health Emergency From Bushfire Smoke, Medical Groups Say
- (AU) 'Hugely Disappointed' Emergency Chiefs To Hold Bushfire Summit With Or Without PM
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