Australia floods: PM Albanese announces relief payments
July 6, 2022
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese toured flood-affected areas of Sydney on Wednesday, where heavy rains and flooding since the weekend have forced thousands to evacuate to safety.
Albanese then announced that his government was rolling out support payments for those who suffered "significant loss as a result of flooding."
"I want everyone in a flood affected region to know that the Commonwealth stands ready and committed to provide support now and through the recovery," Albanese wrote on Twitter.
Albanese toured the hard-hit areas of Sydney with New South Wales state Premier Dominic Perrottet.
Even though the rains have eased on Sydney, the threat of floodwaters remain, with Perrottet telling people yesterday that the event "was far from over."
Storms moves north in NSW
The storm that slammed Sydney, inundating large parts of the city and damaging homes and roads, has now moved to the northern part of the state.
Residents in Singleton, which is along the Hunter River, for example, were ordered to evacuate overnight, Australia's public broadcaster reported.
Authorities asked thousands more to evacuate in other areas along the northern and central regions of the state on Wednesday too.
Since the weekend, nearly 85,000 people have either left their homes or been asked to prepare to do so.
Rescue teams conducted 21 rescue operations across New South Wales overnight, and around 1,000 emergency service providers remained on the ground on Wednesday.
With teams working around the clock, some people have been able to return to their homes in Sydney.
Residents claim insurance payouts for flooded homes
The federal government also recently declared a natural disaster in 23 flooded parts of New South Wales, so people can claim insurance payouts.
Andrew Hall, the chief executive of the Insurance Council of Australia, said 2,700 residents of Sydney had lodged insurance claims by Tuesday. More people were expected to do so, he added.
Australia bears the brunt of climate change
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday added that scientists have long warned about the impact of global warming and that Australians are bearing the brunt of it.
"What we are seeing, unfortunately, is that play out," Albanese said, referring to the warnings of scientists.
Albanese, who won elections in May with the center-left Labor Party, has promised tougher policies on climate change issues and put an end to "climate wars" that have plagued national politics. The La Nina weather pheonomenon is also bringing increased rainfall to the country's east coast.
Albanese's predecessor, Scott Morrison, committed Australia to net-zero emissions by 2050, albeit without signing it into law, saying he would rely on consumers and companies to bring emissions under control.
Resource-rich Australia is a global mining giant, with iron; coal, petroleum and gas; and gold as the country's most valuable export products, in particular to China.
rm/msh (AFP, Reuters, AP)