E&OE................................................................................................
Can I just say that the devastation that has been caused here, of
course, has produced a great wave of concern and sympathy all around
Australia and the vivid television images of the utter devastation
to the community certainly has had an impact on all Australians. And
I want to say first and foremost how much I know the Premier and I
certainly join him and admire the work of the State emergency services.
The miracle of Exmouth is that nobody lost their life and nobody was
injured. Now, that is an incredible achievement and that has been
in no small measure due to the work of the State emergency services
who have warned people effectively in advance of what should be done.
And I think once again that great volunteer Australian spirit has
come to the fore and people have prepared themselves and as a result
we have minimised physical and personal damage. But the property devastation
is extensive. Now, as I think you all know there are a number of arrangements
that are in place between the Commonwealth and States whereby the
two governments share the cost of disaster relief and those arrangements
apply naturally in the case of this event.
But over and above that, the Premier and I have agreed on several
measures. The first is that we are going to establish a $10 million
trust fund which will be jointly contributed to by the two governments
of $5 million each which will provide general relief, business assistance
and generally to get started the process of community reconstruction.
And over and above that, the Commonwealth on an ex-gratis basis will
make available to every family whose home was destroyed or severely
damaged an amount of $1,000 and plus $200 for each child. Now, this
is an ex-gratis arrangement which was applied in relation to the floods
in Katherine.
We will continue to talk to the Western Australian Government. It
will be some weeks before the full extent of the cost of repairing
infrastructure will be known and obviously we will keep in touch.
But on occasions like this it is necessary for governments to promptly
come to the assistance. There are standing arrangements and what I
have announced today is over and above those standing arrangements.
But can I again say to the people of Exmouth and the surrounding districts
that the events of the past few days have certainly not left you neglected
by the rest of your other fellow Australians and we certainly feel
for you and want to help you. The community spirit is strong but as
the process of reconstruction gathers pace inevitably there will be
difficulties and we want to be there to help.
JOURNALIST:
Can you just say what those standing arrangements are?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh yes, well under those standing arrangements where it's necessary
for the State's Family and Community Services Department to provide
cash and emergency assistance once it gets over, I think, $200,000
the Commonwealth picks up half the cost and the State the other half.
And once it goes a bit higher then a further percentage is picked
up and then in addition to that there are some standing arrangements
in relation to infrastructure. But I think it is necessary for the
State....for the cost of the infrastructure renewal to pass $16
million before the Commonwealth makes a contribution. And that's
one of the reasons why we are saying now we will put $5 million in
and $5 million from Western Australia so that immediately there is
a joint trust fund available. And we'll keep in touch with the
Western Australian Government. I can just assure the people that they
won't be left alone, they won't be left to fend for themselves.
Obviously there are private insurance arrangements but on occasions
like this it is the responsibility of both governments to help people,
to help people repair their life, to help people get back on their
feet, to help businesses get going. Nobody can guard against acts
of God and you have just got to help people. And we won't be
cheese paring about it, the State Government's not cheese paring
about it and we just want to make sure that this community which has
shown some tremendous stout, good stout courage gets back on its feet
as quickly as possible.
JOURNALIST:
You have had a look around how do the locals appear to be coping with
the....
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, very well. They're in tremendous spirits and Australians
are like that. They struggle with adversity very well. They get about
fixing things up, they preserve their sense of humour even though
things are difficult and that great Australian spirit came through
once again. And can I say that I am very pleased that Mr Beazley,
the leader of the Opposition, was able to come with me. On occasions
like this, politics is swept aside and it's a question of us
all digging in and helping.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, what did you think of the damage?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh, I was amazed and absolutely incredulous that nobody was hurt.
I mean, nobody lost their life and I just can't believe watching
the extent to which houses are just completely destroyed and twisted
and trees uprooted and the devastation of walking through a couple
of those homes and watching the unmitigated mess and then the heartbreaking
side of those, I am just amazed that nobody was hurt. I think it is
just a miracle. I can't describe it any other way and the emergency
services...and can I also thank the Royal Australian Air Force.
The Hercules have been transporting people to and from the district.
They have been bringing in generators, they have been helping with
fresh water and the way in which all of the emergency services have
responded and the way in which people just work together. I mean,
we are very good at that, working together in adversity and it brings
out the best in the Australian spirit.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, have you got any special thoughts for pastoralists
that have been completely wiped out with this cyclone?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I have got thoughts for everybody who has been affected and
I want to make certain that the people who are most in need of immediate
assistance get it and that is why I have announced these additional
arrangements and we'll keep them under review. And if any anomalies
emerge we'll have a look at them.
JOURNALIST:
Do you have any message for insurance companies for people making
claims that might not have fully prepared for this?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, be generous. Obviously people are entitled to their legal rights
on both sides of it but this is a disaster, it requires generosity.
JOURNALIST:
It requires generosity so is an increase possible....
RICHARD COURT:
Can I just make a comment, sorry, in relation to the pastoral properties.
I didn't have time to fully brief the Prime Minister but we have
now had a...lost everything, they have lost their homes, their
shearing sheds, some of them are about to do shearing and they simply
don't have the facilities to do it. So.....
[Interruption]
PRIME MINISTER:
....you won't be left alone, we'll help you. You deserve
help and you'll get it.
JOURNALIST:
Just a quick question, a quick reaction to the developments in Europe,
to the bombing of Kosovo.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, obviously any use of force of this type is something that countries
only do so reluctantly. But NATO had no alternative. They had persevered,
they had tried, they'd cajoled. Milosevic has proved to be extremely
stubborn and intransigent. They could have reached an agreement in
Rambouillet at the conference with the ethnic Albanians. They didn't.
I don't think NATO had any alternative. It's very regrettable,
it always is but history has told us that if you stand by in the face
of that kind of intransigent you pay a very heavy price later on.
JOURNALIST:
Would you appeal for calm amongst the Yugoslav community of Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I don't appeal and the reason I don't is that the
question assumes that they aren't first and foremost the people
who are part of the Australian community. We have actually over the
last few years been refreshingly free by and large with one or two
exceptions of domestic overreaction from different sections of the
Australian community to events overseas. And we have had one or two
exceptions to that recently but there was a lot of talk at the time
of the gulf crisis that we were going to have difficulties, we didn't.
People from different parts of the old Yugoslavia have made a magnificent
contribution in Australia and they are very much apart of the Australian
community. They are valued people in the Australian community and
I am certain that they will first and foremost behave as Australians
understanding the sympathy and concerns they all have for their loved
ones in Kosovo or in Belgrade, that would be understandable. And like
any other Australian citizen they have a right to express their point
of view through lawful protest but I think calm will be observed because,
not because I call for it or anybody else calls for it because they
respect the laws and the customs and the freedoms of Australia.
[ends]