The real and immediate impact of climate change has never been more evident than in the last few years in Australia. Councils and communities reeling from recent extreme events need little reminder of this fact.
Indeed, the past year has been one disaster after another. We have seen a series of one in a hundred years floods, fires and cyclones following on from the recent prolonged drought in Eastern and Southern Australia.
Extreme weather events and the mounting scientific evidence demand that the time for denial of climate change is over, and for action to begin. The simple reality is that natural disasters are occurring more often in Australia than in the past. The climate will continue to warm and such events will often be more severe.
Much of the recent debate on this issue has focused on a carbon tax. Local Government FOCUS supports a carbon price and the need for a market based mechanism to establish this price at the lowest cost to the overall economy.
It is an essential first step for this country, and despite the political posturing, it is also inevitable.
But of more immediate concern is the havoc and evastation caused by the cyclones, floods and fires across Australia.
On top of its heavy workload, Local Government is now expected to deal with these emergencies, and right across the country it has performed well. While Local Government has played a vital role in emergency management, delivering services and advice in affected areas, it is now expected to get roads back in working order, restore services and guarantee community safety. When local communities are devastated, the role of councils is critical to the recovery from such disasters.
Right around Australia, they have played a brilliant role in partnership with their communities.
The economic cost of the flooding in Eastern Australia is one of the most costly natural disaster in our history, with councils in Queensland alone facing costs of close to $2 billion. The pressure on existing infrastructure has never been higher.
The Federal Government has acted fast in directing funds to key areas through its Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA). Even with this funding, it is likely that many affected Local Governments will not be in a position to fund all required works on local roads, bridges, parks and buildings.
We support the call from the ALGA for a dedicated program that would provide direct funding to Local Government in the event of these disasters.
