RADIO INTERVIEW – RADIO 2CC, LEAON DELANEY DRIVE
WEDNESDAY, 21 OCTOBER 2020
SUBJECT: $100 MILLION REGIONAL RECOVERY PARTNERSHIP FUND, FEDERAL ICAC
LEON DELANEY, PRESENTER: A $100 million bushfire recovery funding package from the federal government will apparently not offer support to areas surrounding the ACT including Queanbeyan - Palerang, the Snowy Valleys, and the Bega Valley. It's very strange. It even seems even stranger, but the government's own national bushfire recovery agency wasn't actually consulted, over which local government areas should be eligible. Now Queanbeyan -Palerang has lost 80 homes, the Bega Valley lost 600 homes. You could hardly say that were not affected by the bushfires. Joining me now the federal member for Eden-Monaro, Kristy McBain Good afternoon.
This $100 million funding package was recently announced by the Deputy Prime Minister it's supposed to be for economies who bore the brunt of the bushfires, I'd say the Bega Valley would very much fit into that category, wouldn't you?
KRISTY MCBAIN, MEMBER FOR EDEN-MONARO: Yeah, look, it was very disappointing. The hundred million dollar regional recovery partnerships fund was announced, there were 10 regions that were included. And I am grateful that the Snowy Mountains was included in that in that funding package. And I take nothing away from the other regions that were included. What I think needs to be done is the Deputy Prime Minister needs to increase the size of this fund, and actually include those areas hardest hit. And we know the South Coast was particularly hard hit, the South West Slopes - and there was not even a mention of Queanbeyan - Palerang through what happened around Braidwood. So very disappointing. For many of the people and many of those businesses and industries doing that really tough.
DELANEY: Do we have any idea of how the eligibility was determined?
MCBAIN: From the Deputy Prime Minister's press release, we understand that data was used to establish the regions that had been most impacted by natural events such as drought, bushfire and then COVID-19, on top, I'd love to know where that data was from, because I think you'd find there'd be much of Eden-Monaro that would have been included in those areas who have obviously born a large portion of those natural disasters. So, from my point of view, it’s just really disappointing.
DELANEY: It's very strange, isn't it? And the fact that the National Bushfire Recovery Agency was actually not consulted in this process, also seems to me to be a little strange. Am I missing something?
MCBAIN: Well, if you're missing it, I'm missing it. And I think most people around us are missing it. Now the agency was set up to assist with the economic recovery of the region’s, it was set up to assist in trying to streamline recovery processes and assist individuals. And for them not to be consulted over this is ridiculous.
DELANEY: Yeah, you have to wonder what it was set up for. Now, obviously, you were the Mayor of the Bega Valley during the height of the bush fires. And you've had, you know, obviously very close hands on experience here, not just with the disaster, but with people attempting to recover from the disaster. And how did the residents in that area feel that having been missed out having been overlooked in this case?
MCBAIN: Right across Eden-Monaro there is not one single business or industry that hasn't been impacted by bushfires. You know, this regional recovery partnerships fund was meant to assist economies coming back in the region, it was meant to help industry, it was meant to create the next wave of regional and rural leadership. And I think, for our communities, to have missed out on being part of that project is a real slap in the face to them. And a number of them have expressed those concerns via email and definitely via social media. You know, it's really hard when you're told that data is being used to establish the [criteria], even on the on the raw fingers of home lost I would have expected that large swaths of our region would have been included in this.
DELANEY: According to the Canberra Weekly, a spokesperson for the Deputy Prime Minister said that the federal government assessed each region's existing economic resilience, whatever that means. Does that mean perhaps the areas that missed that were considered to have been more robust and more capable of standing on their own two feet perhaps?
MCBAIN: You know, you can spin it any way you want. But I think it's pretty obvious that they've blatantly just stuffed up, haven't they? They should have included these regions. You know, the compounding impact of multiple disasters, this is what really hurts business. And to add on to all of that we've got the border closure with Victoria. And so much of the tourism comes from regional Victoria in great parts of the South Coast, even into the South West Slopes, a lot of people come from regional Victoria, into that area for trout fishing and the like, and it is disappointing that those regions haven't been included. They're continuing to miss out. And now more than ever, they are in need of assistance.
DELANEY: Yeah, and I know we've spoken about this before, but to some extent, the effects of the bushfire have been largely forgotten, due to the overwhelming impact of the COVID pandemic. But of course, the people living with the impacts of the bushfires, they're still struggling, aren't they? And they, they are still yet to get things back in order there are people still living in temporary accommodation.
MCBAIN: Yeah, that's right. we still have people that aren't in permanent accommodation, they're in caravans on property. Many people are still going through the process of getting a bushfire attack level rating, so they can even begin the process of trying to rebuild their homes, you know, after the Tathra and district fires in 2018, we still have a number of residents that haven't rebuilt. It's not a straightforward process. It's a long-term process. And it's not easy. And it has been largely forgotten because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And, you know, when regions miss out on these types of funding programs, the message sent to them is basically, you're fine now, and we know that's not the case for many people.
DELANEY: Now I notice, of course, as everybody else in the world today that the state member for Monaro John Barilaro is back at work today. So do you think maybe he should have a word with these federal colleagues?
MCBAIN: Yeah, look, obviously that would be very handy. You know, there are parts of the Monaro that have been definitely impacted during this bushfire and as I said, I welcome the Snowy Mountains being included. But there are definite gaps. And I'm happy to work with anyone to make sure that these program can be expanded to include our regions that have been hit really hard.
DELANEY: And of course, the same goes for Andrew Constance. He's obviously been a big supporter of people who were affected by the bushfires. But do you think perhaps he should be having a word with his Commonwealth colleagues?
MCBAIN: It would be handy - definitely. Along the coast, especially, in my term as Mayor, we had three bushfires in two years, so he's been obviously part of that recovery process on the coast, as well. And this shouldn't be about politics, it should be about making sure that we are picking up those regions that are hurting the most.
DELANEY: And speaking about politics, given the revelations at the New South Wales ICAC that Daryl Maguire may have had contact with Commonwealth officials in relation to his dodgy visa scheme. What does that tell us about the need for a federal ICAC?
MCBAIN: Look, I think now more than ever, this highlights the reason you need a federal ICAC, it's something that I am definitely in support of, you know, coming from a background in local council, you know, we have a code of conduct process, the state government has the ICAC process, there should be no reason that there isn't something similar in the federal government's sphere.
DELANEY: Certainly appears to be needed, doesn't it?
MCBAIN: Well, I think again, this week, it points to the need for oversight, a federal ICAC with teeth, because we cannot continue to rely on the Audit Office, just to point out the blunders that are happening. There needs to be an ICAC process that can be referred to so these matters can be taken further if required.
DELANEY: Yeah and of course, the Audit Office has been doing a pretty good job, but they're struggling against the odds to with the cutting funding that they've been handed.
MCABIN: Yeah, it’s pretty sad state of affairs when the Audit Office who pointed out some of the serious issues in this current government has their funding cut by $14 million in the last budget. You know, there was a lot of money spent in this budget. Not sure what that $14 million cut had to take place.
DELANEY: Oh, I don't know, but I could be a little cynical if I wanted to be. Kristy McBain Thanks very much for your time today.
ENDS
