CANBERRA - Anyone who loses their home to the bushfires raging around the country will receive an emergency payment from the federal government, Prime Minister John Howard has promised.
The payment of A$1000 ($1133) per adult and A$400 per child will be on top of all other natural
disaster relief assistance measures, Mr Howard said.
That means a family of four would receive A$2800 to help them get back on their feet.
"People that have lost their homes in Tasmania, and this will apply elsewhere in the country, if other people lose their homes they will over and above any other arrangements through the natural disaster relief assistance measures, they will get $1000 an adult and $400 a child," Mr Howard told ABC radio.
The announcement comes a day after Mr Howard promised to establish a special emergency fund with the Tasmanian government to rebuild Scamander, the Tasmanian coastal community where 13 homes were lost in a terrifying firestorm on Monday night.
"If there are other communities around Australia that suffer a similar loss of property and damage to business, a similar approach will be taken in cooperation with the relevant states," he said.
"I want to assure the premiers of other states that their communities will be treated in exactly the same way.
"It's just that in Tasmania there's unfortunately been a loss of property which thankfully has not occurred in Victoria or other parts of the country.
"But if it does occur, then obviously the same approach will be taken."
Mr Howard also promised to facilitate any requests from the states to bring in overseas firefighters to battle the blazes raging in Tasmania, Victoria and NSW.
"I'm told at the moment that's not needed but if there's a change we'll obviously facilitate," he said.
He warned that the crisis could continue for weeks with no major rain forecast.
"Unless there is a really big break in the weather, namely a huge downpour of rain, the terrain and all the areas surrounding the bushfire are so tinder dry and that is the huge problem that we have," he said.
"There is a real concern that in some parts of Australia this is a situation that could go on for weeks."
- AAP
