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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2020/jan/06/nsw-fires-live-updates-victoria-bushfires-south-australia-fire-sa-australian-bushfire-near-me-rfs-cfa-latest-news-morrison
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| Australia fires live: NSW and Victoria bushfires heap pressure on Scott Morrison – latest updates | Australia fires live: NSW and Victoria bushfires heap pressure on Scott Morrison – latest updates |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The PM’s handling of the Australian bushfire crisis comes under further scrutiny as NSW and Victorian towns gain brief reprieve from fires. Follow the latest news and live updates | The PM’s handling of the Australian bushfire crisis comes under further scrutiny as NSW and Victorian towns gain brief reprieve from fires. Follow the latest news and live updates |
| Shane Warne has put his baggy green cap up for auction for bushfire relief. | |
| This is ongoing. | |
| The CFMEU construction division has donated $100,000 to bushfire relief. | |
| It is calling on others within the construction industry to do what they can. | |
| You can read the whole announcement Scott Morrison just made, here: | |
| The local government areas affected are listed below: | |
| New South Wales· Armidale· Ballina· Bega Valley· Bellingen· Blue Mountains· Byron· Central Coast· Cessnock· Clarence Valley· Coffs Harbour· Eurobodalla· Glen Innes Severn· Greater Hume· Gwydir· Hawkesbury· Inverell· Kempsey· Ku-ring-gai· Kyogle· Lake Macquarie· Lismore· Lithgow· Mid Coast· Mid-Western· Muswellbrook· Nambucca· Narrabri· Oberon· Penrith· Port Macquarie-Hastings· Queanbeyan-Palerang· Richmond Valley· Shoalhaven· Singleton· Snowy Monaro· Snowy Valleys· Sutherland· Tamworth· Tenterfield· Tweed· Upper Hunter· Upper Lachlan· Uralla· Walcha· Wingecarribee· WollondillyVictoria· East Gippsland· Towong | |
| The government has suspended Centrelink’s welfare debt recovery operations and mutual obligation requirements for jobseekers living in bushfire-affected areas. | |
| It should allay fears that people receiving benefits, including potentially volunteer firefighters, could have their payments suspended during the crisis. | |
| Scott Morrison said the suspension will be in place for two months before it is reviewed. The same arrangements will be in place for the Australian Taxation Office. | |
| As Amy has noted, the government will also establish 20 Services Australia (Centrelink and Medicare) pop-up shopfronts, which will be welcome news for those in fire-affected communities that have had difficulties today. | |
| Stuart Cameron, who has been evacuated to Bega after fire threatened his family home near Bermagui, told the Guardian on Monday some stranded locals had gathered outside the Centrelink this morning frustrated that it was closed. | |
| “... in just a couple of minutes there two women arrived saying that they had been seeking to apply for the crisis payment and had been directed to the office from the evacuation centre,” he said. | |
| And on the immediate priorities of the new National Disaster Recovery Agency: | |
| Build on the effective working relationships with state, territory and local governments, including their recovery and reconstruction bodies, and to work with stakeholders in bushfire-affected communities and relevant commonwealth agencies to inform and integrate recovery and rebuild activities. | |
| Ensuring affected communities have ready access to meaningful support and all available services. | |
| Providing advice and recommendations to government on the economic and social impacts of bushfire on affected communities, in consultation with relevant agencies across all levels of government. | |
| Developing and coordinating the delivery of a long-term plan for the recovery, rebuild and resilience of bushfire-affected communities. | |
| Stuart Robert, the minister for government services, has provided an update on what Services Australia has been doing: | |
| We are going to be hearing this line a lot from the government. | We are going to be hearing this line a lot from the government. |
| Scott Morrison: | Scott Morrison: |
| The government has made much of its surplus – last year there was the “back in the black” campaign that ran immediately after the budget was delivered in April, as well as the “we brought the budget back to surplus next year” line Morrison deployed during the election debates. | |
| It has also consistently pointed to what it has said was Labor’s mismanagement of the economy last time it was in government, while ignoring the impact of the global financial crisis, which happened during that time. Both Morrison and the treasurer have been particularly critical of Wayne Swan not delivering his promised surpluses and bring it up constantly in political attack. | |
| So this pivot is very interesting. | So this pivot is very interesting. |
| As is this line from Josh Frydenberg: | As is this line from Josh Frydenberg: |
| So now that the budget is unlikely to be in surplus (it had already been downgraded by about $21bn over the forwards and cut about $2bn to just $5bn for this year) the line has switched to: we can respond to these disasters because of the budget position. | |
| Not that politics is important right now, but it should be noted. | Not that politics is important right now, but it should be noted. |
| The prime minister deflects a question on why he signed off on the defence minister Linda Reynolds’ leave, and why she said she wasn’t on leave yesterday, when she was. | The prime minister deflects a question on why he signed off on the defence minister Linda Reynolds’ leave, and why she said she wasn’t on leave yesterday, when she was. |
| Asked about Julie Bishop’s comments about Australia needing to take a lead in climate policy, Scott Morrison again says his government won’t be changing its emission reduction policy: | Asked about Julie Bishop’s comments about Australia needing to take a lead in climate policy, Scott Morrison again says his government won’t be changing its emission reduction policy: |
| Of that additional $2bn in disaster recovery funding, Josh Frydenberg says that $500m will be in the 2020 calendar year. | Of that additional $2bn in disaster recovery funding, Josh Frydenberg says that $500m will be in the 2020 calendar year. |
| Scott Morrison has already ruled out a bushfire levy (he did that yesterday). | Scott Morrison has already ruled out a bushfire levy (he did that yesterday). |
| Given the election rhetoric over the surplus (which is being walked back now), Morrison is asked whether he can guarantee there will not be cuts to other areas to pay for this. | Given the election rhetoric over the surplus (which is being walked back now), Morrison is asked whether he can guarantee there will not be cuts to other areas to pay for this. |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| Scott Morrison is lowering expectations here, in terms of Australia’s budget position over the forwards: | Scott Morrison is lowering expectations here, in terms of Australia’s budget position over the forwards: |
| Asked if the Morrison government will still be able to deliver a surplus, the prime minister says: | Asked if the Morrison government will still be able to deliver a surplus, the prime minister says: |
| The Australian Taxation Office will defer debt payments for at least two months. | The Australian Taxation Office will defer debt payments for at least two months. |
| You can call 1800 806 218 if you need help with that. | You can call 1800 806 218 if you need help with that. |
| At least 6,000 insurance claims have been made so far, totalling nearly $400m. | At least 6,000 insurance claims have been made so far, totalling nearly $400m. |
| Insurance assessment and recovery specialists are being sent out, where it is safe. | Insurance assessment and recovery specialists are being sent out, where it is safe. |
| Josh Frydenberg will meet with the insurance council, regulators and banking CEOs to “see what can be done to get that money back into people’s pockets as quickly as possible”. | Josh Frydenberg will meet with the insurance council, regulators and banking CEOs to “see what can be done to get that money back into people’s pockets as quickly as possible”. |
| 100 veterinarians are headed into the fire zone to help with wildlife and livestock. | 100 veterinarians are headed into the fire zone to help with wildlife and livestock. |
| Sugar Pine Walk in Bago state forest is “almost totally destroyed”, says Michael McCormack. | Sugar Pine Walk in Bago state forest is “almost totally destroyed”, says Michael McCormack. |
| In terms of the additional defence deployment: | In terms of the additional defence deployment: |
| 497 Australian army reservists have been called out so far. | 497 Australian army reservists have been called out so far. |
| New Zealand is sending three helicopters and an engineering team. | New Zealand is sending three helicopters and an engineering team. |
| Singapore has sent two Chinooks, which are on their way to East Sale in Victoria. | Singapore has sent two Chinooks, which are on their way to East Sale in Victoria. |