The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment will be paid to those seriously injured and hospitalised as well as who have lost their homes, or whose principal place of residence has been destroyed or seriously damaged, as a direct result of the bushfires.

The Payment will also be available to an immediate family member of those who lost their lives in the fire. It will be paid through Centrelink and available from Monday. The Australian Government Victorian fires hotline 180 2211 has been established to take claims and enquiries.

Centrelink staff will also be in relief centres today to take claims for the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment. The Australian Government will also provide funeral assistance for the immediate family of a person who has lost their life as a direct result of the fires. This assistance will be up to $5,000.

Authorisation has been provided to deploy twelve Army bulldozers and support crews to help fire protection efforts near Yea in north-east Victoria. The Defence Force personnel will help build containment lines surrounding the town, which is being seriously threatened with fire.

In addition, the Australian Government is also providing 150 portable beds or mattresses to relief centres in the Baw Baw Shire in West Gippsland. With the extreme conditions throughout Victoria, it is essential that emergency workers are able to get sufficient rest to continue their tireless work.

The bedding is being delivered to Victoria as fast as possible. The Rudd and Brumby Governments are working closely together to ensure that the people and emergency workers in Victoria have all the support they require during this difficult time.

This assistance is over and above the support that will be provided by the Australian Government under the long standing Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements. Through these arrangements, partial reimbursement is provided to the Victorian Government to provide assistance such as grants for food, clothing, accommodation, emergency housing repairs and for expenditure on public infrastructure restoration.

The Australian Government is currently continuing to monitor the impacts and will be considering what further assistance can be provided to individuals, families and communities, especially through community organisations that are responding so well to this devastating event. The Australian Government is working with the Victorian Government to establish a Victorian Bushfire Appeal for people to make donation to assist those affected by the fires. More information on how to donate will be made available as soon as possible.

More information on Australian Government assistance will be available at www.disasterassist.gov.au

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Transcript of Interview with Tony Eastley
ABC AM Program
Subject: Victorian bushfires

E&OE...

EASTLEY: Prime Minister good morning. What was your reaction when you heard of what happened in Victoria last night?

PM: Like the rest of Australia, absolutely horrified. This is an appalling loss of life. An appalling loss of property. This is a terrible and devastating tragedy. And my thoughts and prayers go out to all those families and communities who’ve been affected by this extraordinary natural disaster.

EASTLEY: What sort of briefings have you been able to get given that you heard about it only last night.
PM: Well obviously Emergency Management Australia have been working their way through this, in coordination with the Victorian authorities during the course of yesterday. Late last night in Parliament House, Canberra we convened a meeting with the Director of Emergency Management Australia and the Financial Security Adviser and others, spoke directly to the Victorian Premier about particular forms of assistance which may be necessary. Following on from that meeting, the State Emergency Response Coordinator in Victoria has made a formal request for the activation of the Commonwealth Disaster plan. Immediately what’s been requested is the supply of temporary bedding for emergency relief centres in the Baw Baw Shire. The Commonwealth Government of course has responded positively to that, and that will be activated immediately.

EASTLEY: What can the Commonwealth offer as you say, apart from you know what you mentioned there. Are there other areas that your team looked at last night?

PM: Yes, there are a range of capacities available in terms of dealing with natural disasters like this. Of course, the full capacities of the Australia Defence Force are at the disposal of the Government of Victoria if any practical request is made. That is the first and formal mechanism that we have to assist in natural disasters. Secondly in terms of relief, of course there are a range of emergency payments in which the Commonwealth is either a co-contributor to or a complete contributor to in providing emergency relief payments to those most of it immediately affected, which is why in part of being in Melbourne today to deal directly with the responsible minister, Jenny Macklin in Melbourne about what and where any such payment should be made.

EASTLEY: Okay, the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Thanks for joining us this morning on AM.

PM: Thank you.
[ends]