Vic Govt sets up bushfire support task force
Vic Govt sets up bushfire support task force
30 January 2006
published by www.abc.net.au
Australia — The Victorian Government has set up a ministerial task force to investigate ways to support people affected by the bushfires across Victoria.
Premier Steve Bracks says helping communities to recover will require millions of dollars.
He says one of the key areas requiring assistance will be the tourism industry.
“It’s important to get the resources in place, the support in place, just as we did post-2003, so that communities have a chance to recover as quickly as possible,” he said.
“And can I just remind you, for example, the last occasion, we had significant campaigns to get people back into fire-prone areas and to some of the tourism regions last time – we’ll do the same again.”
The Victorian National party has welcomed the decision.
Nationals leader Peter Ryan says there are a number of issues to be dealt with.
“Issues for example, such as, why should private property owners bear the burden of what happens on public land? How can it be that a private property owner has to cop the cost of the backburn when they’re dealing with a fire that started in a national park? I think those are things that should be legitimately examined and we would support that process,” he said.
