Bushfires: 3000 army reservists called out, extra water bombers leased

Up to 3000 reservists will assist with firefighting efforts, while HMAS Adelaide will be deployed as the PM ramps up bushfire support.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a press conference on the government's bushfire response at Parliament House. Picture: AAP

Up to 3000 Army reservists will be called out in an unprecedented move and the HMAS Adelaide will be deployed to assist in Australia’s bushfire crisis - which has seen more than 1500 homes destroyed and at least 23 confirmed deaths - as Scott Morrison ramps up the government’s response.

The government will also lease an extra four water bombers at a cost of $20m to help the planes already available for firefighting efforts as fires burn across NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

Two water bombers are due to arrive in a week and two will arrive in a fortnight but it is not clear which countries they are coming from. The planes have a capacity to carry between 11,000 litres and 36,000 litres of water.

The Prime Minister announced the government would no longer simply respond to requests from the states for resources but change to a “move forward” posture following a snap meeting of the National Security Committee of cabinet in Canberra on Saturday.

Mr Morrison has come under increasing pressure over his leadership on the bushfires, which began when he took a family holiday to Hawaii before Christmas.

Warning the bushfire disaster had escalated “to an entirely new level”, particularly in the last week in NSW and Victoria, Mr Morrison said it was clear communities needed additional help.

Governor-General David Hurley signed off on the reservists call out on Saturday morning and army brigades will be sent to fire-affected communities.

“The priority of this deployment is to assist in ensuring the safety of life, to support the evacuation of affected people, particularly in isolated communities, and to provide assistance to isolated communities and support state-managed evacuation centres,” Mr Morrison said.

“It is to move in and to move forward, particularly in areas that have been devastated by fire to support the immediate response needs there and the recovery effort that will also follow.”

The HMAS Adelaide, which is the Navy’s largest amphibious ship, will sail from Sydney on Saturday afternoon and be based off the border of NSW and Victoria.

“The Adelaide is fully equipped for disaster relief and humanitarian aid, is able to operate all ADF helicopters, 400 crew, including medical staff, as well as 300 tonnes which have been loaded up in recent days of emergency relief supplies,” the Prime Minister said.

Defence force bases in Brisbane and Adelaide will provide temporary transit accommodation and support arrangements for people in short-term evacuation distress.

A further announcement will be made within days to establish a national recovery agency, similar to the one for the drought and North Queensland flood response.

“Today it is about ensuring we deal with the urgent crisis that is existing across fire grounds in four states in particular, to ensure that we are giving everything that is needed on the ground,” Mr Morrison said.

“Without being asked, we will be turning up and we will be integrating.”

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said the decision to call out army reservists was not taken lightly and she believed it was the first time in the nation’s history this had occurred at such a scale.

Standing alongside Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell, Senator Reynolds said: “The CDF’s key priorities for reservists under this call out, firstly, are to provide isolated communities with life-saving supplies for immediate relief.

“Secondly, to provide evacuation to vulnerable people in isolated communities. Thirdly, assisting with assessment and reopening of vital roads and fourthly, to assist fire services with preparation of fire breaks away from the fire fronts themselves.”

Senator Reynolds said the call out would allow the Australian Defence Force to remain very agile as events unfolded, particularly on Saturday and in the next few days.

The reservists will remain in place on a compulsory, full-time basis until the call out is no longer needed.

“Today’s decision puts more boots on the ground, puts more planes in the sky, puts more ships at sea and puts more trucks to roll into support affected communities,” Mr Morrison said.

New government announcements on Saturday:

· The compulsory call out of Australian Defence Force reserve brigades for the first time in the country’s history, together with specialist personnel,

· Deploying HMAS Adelaide to support the efforts of HMAS Choules and MV Sycamore, as well as additional Chinook helicopters, C-17 Globemasters, C-130 Hercules and C-27 Spartans, and

· Leasing a fleet of extra water bombing planes for the states and territories to deploy