WATCH: Andrew Gee confirms the federal government has pledged $50 million towards flood-ravaged Central West Towns.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Today the Federal Government has announced that it is matching the State Government's
00:06 disaster package of $50 million with a further $50 million for a total disaster package for
00:12 the Central West of $100 million.
00:15 I'm both pleased and relieved that this funding has now been announced and delivered.
00:22 With people that have insurance, are they able to access this money to retrofit their
00:27 homes?
00:28 Well I think all of this has to be determined by the community panel which the Federal and
00:33 State Governments are now going to convene.
00:35 So I think one of the problems with having a delay in announcing this funding is that
00:40 people have already made decisions and gone into debt to actually fund reconstruction.
00:45 Some people haven't started at all.
00:47 So all of those issues now need to be worked out.
00:50 And I think there's got to be a degree of flexibility in all of this because we need
00:54 to make sure that it's not a cookie cutter approach and that the consultation needs to
00:59 be effective.
01:00 And I think it really is important that it is and so individual needs have got to be
01:09 catered for and we've actually got to get this support to where it's needed and it shouldn't
01:11 just be chewed up by local and State Governments.
01:14 We just need to make sure that there is not too much talk because action is needed now.
01:20 So the decisions need to be made quickly, the community needs to be listened to and
01:24 we need to get the help to where it's needed.
01:25 Questions around how this figure was reached, this $50 million figure was reached?
01:30 Yeah I don't know how the figure of $50 million was reached.
01:33 Whilst it is not as much as the Northern Rivers has received, I think it is a very positive
01:39 step in the right direction.
01:40 So I think it's a case of better late than never.
01:43 But in terms of how the fund is broken down, that's a matter for the State Government.
01:48 They have indicated in their announcement this morning that there is $40 million for
01:52 homes, there is $32 million I believe for transport infrastructure and there is over
02:01 $20 million for community assets as well.
02:04 Well I think the most important thing is to get the funding announced and I have indicated
02:10 to the Prime Minister in a phone call that I had with him some weeks ago that we would
02:17 like to see him here but also that if he was going to come he would need to bring some
02:22 funding with him.
02:24 So the funding has now been delivered and I think it is important that the decision
02:30 makers see first hand the struggles and the pain that is still being experienced on the
02:35 ground but I think we've had far too many empty press conferences and walkthroughs.
02:41 It did need to be backed up by action so I'm not sure when he will be visiting, he said
02:46 he will come but I think $100 million does help give people some hope that the reconstruction
02:55 effort now has added momentum.
02:57 So I think although it is a scandalously late announcement, I think it's better late than
03:05 never and I think it can make a real difference on the ground.
03:06 on the ground.
03:09 [BLANK_AUDIO]