Tuesday, 5 March 2024

 Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:40): (530) My constituency question is for the Minister for Emergency Services, and the information I seek is: when will the government announce emergency disaster funding for small businesses and primary industries recently impacted by bushfire in my electorate of Lowan? The Valentine’s Day fires devastated the Pomonal community, with around 40 ‍per cent of this tight-knit community burnt to the ground, including multiple businesses. For those businesses that were not damaged by fire, the impact of police roadblocks and road closures for many weeks on trade and cash flow has pushed many businesses to the absolute brink. Dadswells Bridge was also impacted by a bushfire on this same day, largely impacting productive farmland, with around 200 head of sheep destroyed and hundreds of kilometres of fence lines. While both fires have been declared a natural disaster, the same funding supports offered during previous bushfires declared a natural disaster have not been extended to the small businesses and primary producers impacted by the recent bushfires. I therefore ask: when will the minister announce emergency disaster funding for small businesses and primary industries impacted by bushfire – (Time expired)