$9.9m emergency relief package for Tasmanian bushfire areas

Bushfire-affected communities across Tasmania will get an almost $10 million recovery package, announced today, to help deal with the aftermath of the summer blazes.

Premier Will Hodgman at a Thank you event for fireys in relation to bushfires over summer in Southern Tasmania. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

BUSHFIRE-affected communities in Tasmania will receive almost $10 million to boost tourism and repair damaged facilities as the clean-up continues from the horror summer blazes.

Funding for the economic and community recovery package is being provided through the joint Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and will not be affected by the Federal Election result.

Federal Emergency Management Minister Linda Reynolds yesterday announced the $9.9 million package would be used to promote tourism, support businesses and repair damaged facilities in the Central Highlands, Derwent Valley, Huon Valley and West Coast.

“The bushfires struck during Tasmania’s peak summer tourism season, which had an immediate impact on tourism and the local economy,” Ms Reynolds said.

Premier Will Hodgman said the package would also fund the restoration and reinstatement of Parks and Wildlife Service assets and infrastructure, which will benefit the economic recovery of local communities that rely on parks for tourism and visitors.

“Communities across Tasmania will welcome this funding as it supports longer term recovery initiatives in the fire-affected regions,” he said.

“This assistance package will play an important role in social and economic recovery.

“It will support businesses to restructure, diversify and reposition themselves, and enable the promotion of tourism opportunities in the target regions.”

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Assistant Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Senator Richard Colbeck described the ongoing impacts of this bushfire season as “devastating” and said they were continuing to affect the ability of individuals to earn a living.

Mr Colbeck said it was important for the sake of local jobs that people were aware the affected regions were now “well and truly open for visitors and business alike”.

The package will also provide for community and economic recovery officers who will work with affected businesses and local communities, a grants program and a range of social recovery initiatives to meet an urgent need for improved support networks.

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