PM pledges 13-week payments to people affected by bushfires

Scott Morrison will hand out 13-week payments to people affected by bushfires in southeast Queensland and northern NSW.

Scott Morrison at the bushfire affected area of Binna Burra in the Gold Coast Hinterland. Picture: AAP.

Scott Morrison will hand out 13-week payments to people affected by devastating bushfires in southeast Queensland and northern NSW, as he pledged to stand by victims of the disasters.

The 13-week Disaster Recovery Allowance payments are equal to the maximum rate of Newstart and will be handed out to eligible recipients in fire-affected areas from next Monday.

The Prime Minister visited the fire-zone towns of Beechmont and Canungra and said the payments would help those who have been forced out of work or made to take time off due to the disaster.

“It supports people who are suffering income loss as a result of the economic impact of this disaster and of these fires,” he said in Canungra.

“If you can’t get the shifts, or you’ve had to go back from full-time to part-time, or lost your job completely as a result of these things. This is an allowance that helps you work through that very difficult period when you’re waiting or on the businesses to reopen, on things like that. These payments have been very important in other disaster areas.”

Dozens of fires are still burning statewide but there is no immediate threat. Authorities remained on their guard with a major wind change expected, teamed with temperatures four to five degrees above the September average.

Mr Morrison visited the site of the iconic Binna Burra Lodge, which was razed in the fires, and spoke of the 70 staff members there who have now lost work.

And he refused to be drawn into a debate over whether man-made climate changes had made the bushfires worse.

“The government believes we need to take action on climate change and we will continue to do,” he said.

“I tell you what, people here are focused on helping people.

“There is no philosophical, ideological arguments taking place here. There are discussions taking place about how to support crews, help people get sustained, how do they get their income back in their pocket while they have to go through difficult times.”