Australia pledges US$13 million for bushfire victims
More than 300 structures have been destroyed in the ongoing bushfire crisis in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, authorities said on Sunday, as new support measures for affected communities were announced, WAM reports.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Premier of Victoria, Jacinta Allan, on Sunday announced a 19.5 million Australian dollar (US$13 million) emergency funding package to provide immediate support to communities across the state affected by the fires.
The funding includes 10 million Australian dollars to supply fodder to farmers who have been affected by significant livestock losses, 1.5 million Australian dollars in emergency accommodation support for thousands of people who have been ordered to evacuate their homes and one million Australian dollars for mental health support.
Speaking at a press conference alongside Allan and emergency services personnel in the central Victorian city of Bendigo, Albanese said on Sunday that the federal government would support Victorians through the crisis and the recovery period. "We've got your back," he said. "We'll work cooperatively with the state government to make sure we deliver what is necessary so that people and communities can get back on their feet after what has been a very difficult period."
As of Sunday morning, 32 bushfires were burning across Victoria, with 15 warnings in place advising residents to evacuate. Allan stressed that complying with evacuation orders was the best way to protect lives.
Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch confirmed that more than 300 structures had been destroyed statewide.
He said around 150 of those were lost in a fire near the central Victorian town of Longwood, about 120 kilometres north of Melbourne, which has burned approximately 144,000 hectares since Wednesday.
The Longwood blaze was one of three bushfires remaining at emergency level on Sunday, alongside fires in western Victoria and the state’s far northeast. While temperatures were forecast to fall, authorities warned that strong winds would continue to pose a serious threat, keeping firefighting conditions difficult.
Earlier, it was reported that three people went missing, thousands were ordered to evacuate amid bushfire crisis in southeast Australia.
