Bushfires: Scott Morrison flags land clearing shake-up

Scott Morrison has flagged reform of hazard reduction operations in national parks and laws dictating where land can be cleared and houses built.

Scott and Jenny Morrison with Cobargo RFS captain Mark Ayliffe at the burnt-out NSW town on Thursday. Picture: Sean Davey.

Scott Morrison has flagged an overhaul of hazard reduction operati­ons in national parks and laws dictating where land can be cleared and houses built, while acknowled­ging climate change and the drought had extended Australia’s disastrous fire season.

Addressing a press conference for the first time since fires in NSW and Victoria ravaged the coast this week, the Prime Minister again held the line on his government’s climate change policies but said the national security committee of cabinet would meet on Monday to consider a short- and longer-term response.

Asked if the fires were the new normal, Mr Morrison said the season­ had been “quite extraordinary” because of the drought that preceded it but he hoped that would break this year. “That will hopefully ensure we’ve got a differen­t situation as we confront next year’s fire season,” he said.

“That equally then has a need to address issues around hazard reduction in national parks, dealing with land clearing laws, zoning laws and planning laws around people’s properties and where they can be built in countries like Australia, up and down our coast …

“There have been many restrictions put around those issues that now I think would have to be reviewed on the basis of the impact of the broader climatic effects we are seeing in this country.”

The PM did not rule out leasing more aerial firefighting assets to assist the existing fleet of 140 aircraft and said he understood the fear, frustration and anxiety people­ were experiencing as they tried to leave areas forecast to experience worsening conditions on Saturday. He urged those affected to be patient and put their confid­ence in the state agencies leading the response on the ground.

“I’ve always acknowledged the link … between the broader issues of global climate change and what that means for the world’s weather and the dryness of conditions in many places,” Mr Morrison said.

“My focus right now (is) to deal with the anxiety in the community … getting support and supplies and getting people to safety and ensuring that our firefighters have every support they need, and I said I am in constant contact with the premiers in terms of what, if any, other additional assistance they need to get the job done on the ground.”

Anthony Albanese said the bushfires were a “national emergency” and called for a market-based mechanism to help combat clim­ate change.

Questioned over Mr Morrison’s handling of the crisis, the Opposition­ Leader told ABC TV: “Other people will make their own judgments.

“But I do think there’s been a view put by him that this is almost a business-as-usual approach. He has said that there is no need to change policy on climate … The tragedy is it’s precisely the sort of predictions … made by scientists.”