Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips MP said she is appalled that only one in eight dollars out of the promised bushfire relief funding has been spent.

When the $2 billion National Bushfire Recovery Fund was announced in January, Prime Minister Scott Morrison claimed the funds would “be ready to hit the ground in communities where the fire-front has passed to help them rebuild.”
 
But in figures released yesterday via a Senate Question on Notice, the government has revealed it has paid out less than $260 million from its $2 billion fund.
 
“Our community has been devastated by the triple hit of drought, bushfire and coronavirus – but the Morrison Government continues to ignore our pleas for help,” Fiona Phillips said.

“For months, I have been asking ‘where is the money?’ Every day, I hear from more and more people who feel abandoned by this government – well, these figures show they have been,”

“This is nothing more than a phantom fund,” she said.

Fiona Phillips said she has written to the various ministers on several occasions requesting additional support for local bridges, roads, tourism events and mental health support, but the government has consistently refused to provide additional funds for crucial rebuilding efforts.

“What people in our community don’t need is false promises from a government that never delivers,”

“We need local solutions led by local people – and we need them now,”

“The government needs to stop talking about helping bushfire impacted areas and finally show us the money,” Mrs Phillips said.