PM: [audio break] as well as the local member Tony Buti, and we are here meeting with the Burge family. It's their home that you can see behind us, destroyed in the devastating fires which hit families in this area.
When we look back at the summer we've lived through right around the country, including here in Western Australia, families faced grief, they faced loss, they faced the misery of natural disasters. Here in Western Australia, 66 homes were lost to bushfire, but one of the things that I can say, having been to so many areas of the country touched by natural disaster in recent months, is where ever you go you see the same Australian spirit; the spirit of pulling together; the spirit of volunteers who came to the aid of those touched by natural disasters. So it's been a real privilege to be able to talk to the family whose home we are looking at, to David and Janine and to their lovely children, including Erin, I can see over there proudly bearing her school prefect badge. They have had to face up to losing their home. It's been a great privilege to meet with the volunteers who have come to help, who came to help fellow Australians in need. As a Federal Government, we've also worked to assist Australians in need by providing a disaster relief payment, and then as families rebuild we assist with replacement and rebuilding costs, but it's a very difficult time. Here in Western Australia, for families touched by bushfire we've provided more than $4 million in assistance, but I understand as governments assist, as volunteers help, there is still a big and difficult road back for families that have lost everything, like David and Janine and their family. Our thoughts are with them as they go through the journey of rebuilding and it's been an absolute privilege to be here today to share some thoughts and reflections with them. JOURNALIST: Why did you come out here today? PM: I came out to see firsthand what had happened here in Western Australia. I've travelled right around the country to natural disaster areas and whilst, of course, with the very sophisticated media we've got today, we get the news very quickly, there's nothing like seeing it for yourself. So, I'm very pleased I had the opportunity to come and to speak to a family directly affected and volunteers who got out on the ground and helped. JOURNALIST: How bad's this summer been in terms of natural disasters? PM: It's just been a remarkable period to live through. I think every Australian at the end of this summer would have just looked back and been amazed at the dimensions of natural disaster we live through - floods, fire, cyclone. Right around the country people have been really under pressure from our environment, from Mother Nature, but Australians have pulled together and I think as we move from the summer of natural disasters we're not just reflecting on what we've lost, but we're also reflecting on the amazing Australian spirit that got us through. JOURNALIST: So after visiting here today, is there anything else that the Government is going to do to help (inaudible)? PM: We will keep delivering the assistance through our Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery arrangements. We work with the State Government in those arrangements. It's a helping hand and as we provide that helping hand we know that it's a bit of help to help families through, but there's still a lot of pressure on people as they go about rebuilding their homes and rebuilding their lives. JOURNALIST: And what of the victims here, which ones are exempt from the flood levy? PM: People who are eligible for the Australian Government Disaster Relief payment do not have to pay the flood levy. We deliberately struck those arrangements. We understand that in many parts of the country people have been touched by natural disaster. Those people have been eligible for the Australian Government Disaster Relief payment. If you're eligible for that payment then you do not have to pay the flood levy. Thank you