Extreme weather doesn’t have to end in disaster
Images like these never get easier to see, yet they continue to appear on our news channels. And while floods, cyclones and bushfires can be extreme, it is possible to lessen the impact.
Governments can lessen the impact
The next Australian Government must boost investment in stronger homes and local infrastructure to make communities more resilient in the face of worsening extreme weather, and this investment must be matched by the states and territories.
Australian Government investment in these measures needs to lift from $100 million to at least $200 million a year, or $1 billion over the next five years, matched by the states and territories meaning a $2 billion investment in better protecting Australian homes and communities.
This investment is expected to reduce financial, health and social costs to the Australian Government and Australian households by at least $19 billion by 2050.
How will this investment help?
Through investing in resilience measures, federal and state governments can improve the resilience of the nation’s homes and businesses to cyclone, flood and bushfire, as well as projects that protect the community, like levees, floodways, and fuel reduction.