The beginning of a new year is often a tragic time in Australia, with many people at increased risk from environmental disasters such as bushfires and flooding.
Unfortunately, this year has already seen its fair share of heartache.
For those affected, disaster relief funding is an important resource.
However there may be a better way.
The Australian Productivity Commission released a draft report in September last year examining natural disaster funding.
One of the key recommendations made was shifting funding from relief and recovery to mitigation.
The report suggests that this approach would not only manage natural disaster risks more sustainably, but also distribute the benefits of the funding more equitably.
Evidence was found of duplication, inconsistency, inequity and inefficiency in the current provision of emergency relief to individuals.
“Natural disasters are an unavoidable part of the Australian landscape,” said Commissioner Jonathan Coppel.
“However, current funding arrangements are prone to cost-shifting, ad hoc responses and short-term political opportunism.”
The Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) agrees, announcing that infrastructure funding should be at the centre of the upcoming Queensland state election.
LGAQ President Margaret de Wit said that Queensland communities need hundreds of millions of dollars each year to ensure infrastructure can support regional development and be resilient in the face of floods and cyclones.
Everything is pointing towards greater disaster mitigation to be the smart investment in infrastructure.
The Australian Government, while cutting costs in many areas, has frequently touted its $50 billion infrastructure investment, a record for Australia, as a major triumph.
In 2015 we will begin to see exactly what benefits this tremendous amount of money will be able to reap for the community.
Using this money smartly could safeguard the financial security, and more importantly the lives, of people in the path of natural disasters.
