Australia’s aerial firefighting force has been given an $11m funding injection from the Morrison government amid growing concern about the resourcing of firefighters combating the bushfire crisis.
On Thursday the federal government announced it would nearly double the commonwealth’s annual contribution to the National Aerial Firefighting Centre, which coordinated the 140 aircraft used to battle fires across Australia.
“In response to the request from our national fire chiefs we’re backing our firefighters and our water-bombing fleet with an extra $11m boost,” the prime minister, Scott Morrison said in a statement.
“That’s on top of the $15m we already deliver each year for aerial firefighting to tackle what has already been a devastating fire season.”
The funding injection comes as fires continue to rage across the east coast of Australia. In New South Wales six people have been killed and more than 720 homes destroyed since last month.
On Tuesday as smoke brought Sydney’s air quality to more than 11 times the hazardous level, Morrison had rejected calls for more help for firefighters, saying firefighters “want to be out there”.
“These fires have been going on for some months now and when I was speaking with the commissioner on the weekend out where we have the mega-fire at the moment we were talking through the crew rotations,” he said.
“And the fact is these crews, yes, they’re tired, but they also want to be out there defending their communities. And so we do all we can to rotate the shifts to give them those breaks but … in many cases you’ve got to hold them back to make sure they get that rest. And I thank them all for what they’re doing, particularly all those who support them.”
The minister for natural disasters, David Littleproud, said the additional funding would allow lease periods of firefighting aircraft to be extended.
“It is clear we are facing longer and more intense seasons, and as this summer has only just begun we have already seen devastating fires tear through communities right across the country,” Littleproud said.
“Sadly, bushfires are part of the Australian landscape and while we cannot always prevent them, we can prepare for them and ensure that we are responding in the most effective way.”
