Australian Prime Minister Unveils Disaster Assistance for Communities Impacted by Severe Bushfire
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Seoul, Dec 29 (NationPress) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled emergency disaster assistance for individuals affected by a significant bushfire in the country's southeast.
On Sunday, Albanese evaluated the devastation caused by the ongoing bushfire in the Grampians National Park, located roughly 230 km west of Melbourne, alongside the Premier of Victoria, Jacinta Allan, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
Albanese informed the media that disaster recovery payments from both the federal and state governments will be accessible from Monday for workers and sole traders directly impacted by the fire, offering up to 13 weeks of income support.
"This has been a devastating fire event," he stated. "We reside in a country with challenging conditions; the reality is they are becoming increasingly frequent and intense."
The bushfire was initiated by a lightning strike on December 6 and has scorched over 70,000 hectares of farmland, national park, and private property.
No injuries have been reported, but significant losses of livestock have occurred.
Additionally, on Saturday, three homes were lost in the town of Moyston, and 11 outbuildings were destroyed by the fire across Moyston and Pomonal.
Several towns and communities surrounding the park were ordered to evacuate in the lead-up to Christmas Day, but as of Sunday, most residents have been permitted to return home as conditions have improved.
Nevertheless, authorities have cautioned that they anticipate the fire will continue to burn for several weeks.
Earlier on December 25, officials in Victoria issued an emergency warning to residents in the Grampians mountain range, urging them to evacuate as bushfire conditions deteriorated. VicEmergency released a fire warning on Wednesday afternoon, advising residents in Moyston and Pomonal, two towns in western Victoria, to leave immediately as the bushfire in Grampians National Park persisted.
On Sunday, Albanese encouraged individuals to adhere to emergency warnings and evacuation orders, characterizing any failure to take them seriously as disrespectful to firefighting teams.
