Bushfire recovery a priority for COAG

Government leaders will ramp up the bushfire recovery effort in the wake of a catastrophic summer.

Scott Morrison is seen alongside Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy, second from left, and other state leaders during the COAG meeting in Sydney on Friday. Picture: AAP

Government leaders will ramp up the bushfire recovery effort in the wake of a catastrophic summer, endorsing a national risk ­reduction framework to build ­resilience and improve responses to natural disasters.

At the COAG meeting in Sydney on Friday, federal, state and territory leaders discussed the next phase of the recovery ­effort while acknowledging the significant impact climate change would have on critical infrastructure.

It will specifically review government investment in disaster resilience at its next meeting.

The leaders acknowledged that building such resilience ­required co-ordinated action and took the unprecedented step of committing $261m to a ­federal-state partnership aimed at funding climate change-­related risk-reduction initiatives.

They were also presented with a preliminary report prepared by the CSIRO on the significant impact climate change could have on critical infrastructure as extreme weather ­becomes increasingly prevalent.

Data provided by the Bushfire Recovery Agency, established by Scott Morrison, shows more than 2100 power poles in southeast NSW had been damaged or ­destroyed during the bushfires, with some communities still without electricity.

COAG announced on Friday it would take immediate action on upgrading the national telecommunications network to avoid such damage again.

It has asked the Building Ministers Forum to consider how to adapt buildings to future climate and hazard conditions as reconstruction begins on thousands of homes that were lost to firestorms.

The group also agreed to ­review and, if necessary, update existing disaster recovery funding arrangements by looking to streamline processes where possible.

“Australians impacted by the same disaster in the same way should have equitable access to recovery assistance, irrespective of what side of the border they are on, and be treated consistently and fairly,” the communique from the COAG meeting said.

The latest data from the bushfire recovery agency shows the government has processed 134,000 recovery payment claims since August to help those affected.