In a speech before parliament this week, Ross Vasta, Federal Member for Bonner, joined the chorus of voices calling on the Prime Minister to provide assurances about what is considering to constitute “essential Public infrastructure” under the National Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.

“I join the Lord Mayor of Brisbane in urging the Federal Government to provide certainty to Brisbane City Council and the residents of Brisbane about exactly what assets will be covered by the National Diaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.” said Mr Vasta.

The calls for certainty come as the Prime Minister has refused to clarify what will and what won’t be funded under the NDRRA scheme. The Brisbane City Council is well underway with its flood recovery work, but almost 6 weeks since floods Gillard is still refusing to provide the certainty that is so desperately required in order for the council to move forward with the reconstruction process.

“It was not long ago that the Prime Minister was in Queensland promising to do everything in her power to help rebuild Queensland. I ask the Prime Minister what has changed now she is back in Canberra.” Mr Vasta Said.

Mr Vasta has also accused the influential members of Lilley and Griffith of hiding behind bureaucracy and red table and being more concerned about Canberra that Queensland.

“I call on the Prime Minister and her cabinet to outline Brisbane’s position as well as give all Queensland councils some certainty on what will and won’t be eligible for funding as soon as possible. It is quite simple really – all she has to do is say ‘yes vital infrastructure will be funded’ and yes, water and sewerage infrastructure will fund funded’ and whether is applies to Brisbane or across the state.” Said Mr Vasta.

“Over the last 6 weeks we have all heard a lot about the need to give assistance and demonstrate compassion to the victims of this terrible nature disaster. Indeed the Prime Minister has spoken many times of this herself. I say that if the Prime Minister really wants to show some heart and some compassion, she can do it by giving certainty.” Said Mr Vasta.

Ross Vasta, Federal Member for Bonner, today announced that he would be hosting a Disability forum together with the Shadow Minister for Disabilities, Carers & the Voluntary Sector, Senator Mitch Fifield, on the 9th of March.

The purpose of the Disability Roundtable will be to provide a forum for people with disabilities to exchange information, learn from one another’s experiences, voice their concerns and pass on information directly to the Shadow Minster for Disabilities & Carers.

“At a time when 5, 000 to 6, 000 people in Bonner have a profound or severe disability there has never been a better time to talk about how we need to care for, support and treat people with a disability in our community as well as their carers. I encourage all members of the Bonner community to attend this forum and to have their say.”  Said Mr Vasta.

The public forum will discuss topics ranging from funding issues through to the proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme currently before the Productivity Commission. There will also be a question and answer segment designed to encourage the members of the forum to come forward with their issues, concerns and ideas and most importantly to be heard on an individual basis.

“The main aim of this forum is to improve the support for people with disabilities and their carers by listening and acting upon their feedback and building and strengthening these community partnerships. ” Mr Vasta stated.

Both Ross Vasta and Senator Fifield hope that this forum will help broaden the understanding of the many challenges that confront individuals with disabilities and their carers on a daily basis.

“I’m looking forward to visiting Bonner and listening to people’s views on what we can do to ensure people with a disability and carers get a better deal. I always learn something new at these forums and it’s great that Ross Vasta has arranged this opportunity for a discussion of important issues.” Said Senator Fifield.

It is with pleasure that I rise today to acknowledge and thank my community of Bonner for their generosity and commitment to assisting their fellow Queenslanders. So many people from my community assisted those threatened by floodwaters by filling and moving sandbags as the flood approached. I know that so many of those same people offered their time to volunteer in the clean-up. These were ordinary people who just wanted to help in any way they could to ensure their fellow Aussies were prepared for the inundation and then to get them back on their feet.

At the same time, I would like to thank and acknowledge all those silent donors in my community who so generously donated goods for inclusion in the special flood care packages. Flood care packages of sanitary and hygiene products were considered to be a very practical way for people to assist those in areas hardest hit and who had lost everything. This was not only in Brisbane but across the state of Queensland. My office was overwhelmed by the community’s generosity in responding to the call for donations for flood care packages. Given that the floods occurred at a time when many children were also due to start or return to school, the community included school notepads and pens in their donations so that many of those children had everything they needed to start school. My community was truly inspiring in their call to action and these were all people who were selfless in their donation and wanted no acknowledgement or recognition.

Since the flood my office has worked predominantly with the Red Cross to move all those donations out to the people who need them, and I know that they were very gratefully received. We have seen over 100 packages donated and the number continues to rise as people in the community keep donating. I am now working with the Liberal National Party women’s organisation to support those affected by Cyclone Yasi. So often a community’s true spirit is awakened at a time of crisis. From what I have witnessed, this is certainly the case of the Bonner community, but also the Queensland community. This is something that makes me so proud to be a Queenslander.

I rise today to speak on behalf of the people in my electorate of Bonner and also those in greater Brisbane. I am speaking today in support of Lord Mayor Campbell Newman and his request for the Gillard government to provide assurances about what is considered to be essential public infrastructure under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.

I join the lord mayor in urging the federal government to provide certainty to Brisbane City Council and the residents of Brisbane about exactly what assets will be covered by the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements. Immediately following the recent flood that devastated so many communities in Brisbane, Brisbane City Council has been trying to establish whether Brisbane’s much-valued ferry terminals, river walk and sewerage plants are eligible for funding for repairs, costing tens of millions of dollars, under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements. It is now almost six weeks since the peak of the flood and many communities are trying, as much as possible, to return to normal. The Brisbane City Council is well underway with its flood recovery work almost six weeks since the flood, but this federal government will still not provide the certainty that is so desperately required for the Brisbane City Council to fully move forward with the reconstruction process, a process that I am sure a lot of my colleagues on both sides of this chamber will agree is a top priority.

It is not as though the Brisbane City Council is not prepared to make the hard decisions-it certainly is. Two weeks ago the lord mayor, together with the council’s Chairman for Finance and Economic Development, Councillor Adrian Schrinner, announced the redirection of $380 million, over three years, into the flood recovery effort. That was by no means an easy process, but it was made even harder because of the lack of certainty provided by the federal government about what it will and will not fund.

Unlike this federal government, the Brisbane City Council knows that residents have already been hit hard enough and it is taking all measures possible not to pass on the cost of this reconstruction to residents through higher rates, particularly at a time when the federal government wants to impose an additional tax on all Australians, including on those in Queensland who have already donated so much of their time in volunteering their services as well as their money. Unlike this federal government, the Brisbane City Council practises responsible financial management and is not prepared to run-up budget deficits. Running the budget into deficit is not an option, but the council cannot delay the flood recovery while it waits for the federal government to confirm its financial support. Instead, it has to make some very tough decisions and defer projects in some areas and make cuts in others.

I take this opportunity to commend Lord Mayor Campbell Newman on his outstanding leadership in making these tough decisions and I applaud him and his team on their commitment to prudent financial management. I salute the determination of the lord mayor and his council to get the city’s vital infrastructure up and running again at the earliest possible time. Last week, the lord mayor revealed how Brisbane City Council would maintain a balanced budget, while covering the cost of the council’s damage bill following the impact of last month’s flood. The lord mayor said the council had put all projects and expenditure under the microscope to find ways to budget for the $440 million damage bill without putting pressure on ratepayers. Deferring projects rather than hitting ratepayers with large rate rises is certainly the right thing to do. The lord mayor has acknowledged that, as soon as confirmation is received from the state and federal governments about what will and will not be covered under the disaster relief arrangements, some of these projects can begin to be put back on the table.

The good news for Brisbane ratepayers, thanks to the prudent financial decisions made by the lord mayor and his team, is that they will not have to fund the flood bill via a flood levy or surcharge on their rates. Introducing a flood levy at a time like this would be nothing short of poor and reckless financial management. Instead, a financial plan has been put in place to get the budget in the black and get Brisbane back on track. Brisbane’s clean-up and recovery will be a marathon, not a sprint. Once again, I commend the lord mayor for balancing the council budget to cover the damage bill and for ensuring ratepayers do not suffer expense through extra rate rises and levies-all of which was achieved without any confirmation of support or funding from the state and federal governments.

Unlike the Labor state government in Queensland, Brisbane City Council have also been very prudent in their risk management policies and have taken out storm and flood insurance policies wherever possible. In fact, they pay over $1 million each year in insurance premiums. This will go some way towards rebuilding Brisbane but, as I mentioned earlier, the fact remains that there will still be a significant shortfall over the next three years. Make no mistake: every dollar of financial assistance the federal government refuses to provide is a dollar that Brisbane City Council will need to find by cutting projects in the city.

It was not that long ago that the Prime Minister was in Queensland, promising to do everything in her power to help rebuild Queensland. I ask the Prime Minister: what has changed now that you are back in Canberra? Again, I urge the federal government to provide certainty to Brisbane City Council and all other councils in Queensland that have similar concerns. I read an editorial in the Courier Mail last week that expressed the sentiment eloquently. It said:

No one is asking for a blank cheque. They just want the disaster recovery arrangements honoured in the spirit in which they were intended, an end to the tawdry politics, and enough surety so that we can rebuild our communities. That is not a lot to ask.

I know that a lot of my colleagues in this chamber will agree with me when I say no, it certainly is not a lot to ask.

Behind all this bureaucracy, endless red tape and posturing, I do not know what has happened to influential Queenslanders, like the members for Lilley and Griffith. They seem to be more concerned about Canberra than Queensland, and I join the Lord Mayor of Brisbane in calling for them to stand up for their home state and honour the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements in their entirety and to provide certainty for Brisbane and the rest of Queensland, who have already suffered so much. I call on the Prime Minister to outline Brisbane’s position as well as give all Queensland councils some certainty on what will and will not be eligible for funding as soon as possible. It is quite simple really. All they have to do is say, ‘Yes, vital infrastructure will be funded,’ and, ‘Yes, water and sewerage infrastructure will be funded’-whether it applies to Brisbane or across the state.

In conclusion, over the last six weeks we have all heard a lot about the need to give assistance and demonstrate compassion to the victims of this terrible natural disaster. Indeed, the Prime Minister has spoken many times of this herself. I say to this House: if the Prime Minister really wants to show some heart and some compassion, she can do this by giving certainty.

Mr/Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of the people in my electorate of Bonner but also those in greater Brisbane.

I am speaking today, in support of Lord Mayor Campbell Newman and his requests for the Gillard Government to provide assurances about what is considered to be “essential public infrastructure” under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.

I join the Lord Mayor in urging the Federal Government to provide certainty to Brisbane City Council and the residents of Brisbane about exactly what assets will be covered by the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.

Mr/Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, immediately following the recent flood that devastated so many communities in Brisbane, Brisbane City Council has been trying to establish whether tens of millions of dollars in repairs to Brisbane’s much valued ferry terminals, river walk and sewage plants are eligible for funding under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.

We are now almost six weeks since the peak of the flood and many communities are trying to return to normal as much as possible. But while Brisbane City Council is well underway with its flood recovery work, almost six weeks since the flood, this Federal Government still won’t provide the certainty that is so desperately required in order for Brisbane City Council to fully move forward with the reconstruction process. A process that I am sure that a lot of my colleagues on both sides of this chamber will agree is a top priority.

Mr/Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, it is not like the Brisbane City Council isn’t prepared to make the hard decisions – it certainly is! Two weeks ago, the Lord Mayor, together with Council’s Chairman for Finance and Economic Development, Cr Adrian Schrinner, announced the redirection of $380 million over three years into the flood recovery effort.

That was by no means an easy process but it was made even harder because of the lack of certainty provided by the Federal Government about what it will and won’t fund.

Unlike this Federal Government, Brisbane City Council knows that residents have already been hit hard enough and it is taking all measures possible not to pass on the cost of this reconstruction to residents through higher rates. Particularly at a time when the Federal Government wants to impose an additional tax on all Australians, including those in Queensland that have already donated so much in time volunteering and money.

Unlike this Federal Government, Brisbane City Council practices responsible financial management and is not prepared to run up budget deficits. Running the budget into deficit is not an option but it also can’t delay the flood recovery while it waits for the Federal Government to confirm their financial support – instead it has had to make some very tough decisions and defer projects in some areas and make cuts in others.

Indeed I take this opportunity to commend the Lord Mayor, Campbell Newman, on his outstanding leadership in making these tough decisions and I certainly applaud him and his team on their commitment to prudent financial management. I salute the determination of the Lord Mayor and his council to get city’s vital infrastructure up and running again at the earliest possible time. Last week the Lord Mayor revealed how Brisbane City Council would maintain a balanced budget while covering the cost of Council’s damage bill following the impact of last month’s flood.

The Lord Mayor said Council had put all projects and expenditure under the microscope to find ways to budget for the $440 million damage bill without putting pressure on ratepayers. Deferring projects rather than hitting ratepayers with a large rates rise is most certainly the right thing to do and as the Lord Mayor has acknowledged, as soon as confirmation is received from the State and Federal Government about what will be covered under disaster relief arrangements, some of these projects can begin to be put back on the table.

The good news for Brisbane ratepayers, thanks to the prudent financial decisions made by the Lord Mayor and his team, is that they won’t have to fund the flood bill via a flood levy or surcharge on their rates. Introducing a flood levy at a time like this would be nothing short of poor and reckless financial management. Instead, a responsible financial plan has been put in place to keep the budget in the black and get Brisbane back on track. Brisbane’s clean up and recovery will be a marathon, not a sprint and once again, I commend the Lord Mayor for balancing the Council budget to cover the damage bill and ensuring ratepayers do not suffer expense through extra rate rises and levies; all of which was achieved without any confirmation of support or funding from the State and Federal Governments.

Mr/Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, unlike the Labor State Government in Queensland, Brisbane City Council have also been prudent in their risk management policies and taken out storm and flood insurance policies wherever possible. In fact, it pays over $2 million each year in insurance premiums. This will go some way towards rebuilding Brisbane, but as I mentioned earlier, the fact remains that there will still be a significant shortfall over the next three years. Make no mistake – every dollar of financial assistance the Federal Government refuses to provide is a dollar that Brisbane City Council will need to find by cutting projects the city.

It was not that long ago Mr/Madam Acting Deputy Speaker that the Prime Minister was in Queensland promising to do everything in her power to help rebuild Queensland. I ask the Prime Minister what’s changed now you’re back here in Canberra?

Again, I urge the Federal Government to provide certainty to Brisbane City Council and all other councils in Queensland that have similar concerns.

I read an editorial in the Courier Mail last week that expressed the sentiment eloquently. It read: “No one is asking for a blank cheque. They just want the disaster recovery arrangements honoured in the spirit in which they were intended, an end to the tawdry politics, and enough surety so that we can rebuild our communities. That is not a lot to ask.”

I know that a lot of my colleagues in this chamber will agree with me when I say – No, it certainly is not a lot to ask.

Mr/Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, behind all this bureaucracy, endless red tape and posturing I don’t know what has happened to influential Queenslanders like the members for Lilley & Griffith. They seem to be more concerned about Canberra than Queensland and I join the Lord Mayor of Brisbane in calling for them to stand up for their home State and honour the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements in their entirety and provide certainty for Brisbane and the rest of Queensland who have already suffered so much.

I call on the Prime Minister to outline Brisbane’s position as well as give all Queensland councils some certainty on what will and won’t be eligible for funding as soon as possible. It is quite simple really – all they have to do is say ‘yes vital infrastructure will be funded’ and ‘yes, water and sewerage infrastructure will be funded’ and whether it applies to Brisbane or across the state.

In conclusion, over the last 6 weeks we have all heard a lot about the need to give assistance and demonstrate compassion to the victims of this terrible natural disaster. Indeed the Prime Minister has spoken many time of this herself. Well I say to this house that if the Prime Minister really wants to show some heart and some compassion, she can do this by giving certainty.

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this motion of condolence in relation to the natural disasters that have so significantly impacted on so many communities across Australia this summer, particularly the natural disasters that have devastated my home city of Brisbane and my state of Queensland. Firstly, I would like to offer my sincere condolences on behalf of all the residents of Bonner to the families and loved ones of those whose lives were so tragically lost. In particular, I acknowledge my colleagues from both sides who lost members of their communities. I know that your communities will never be the same again. I also offer my sincere condolences to everyone who suffered throughout the recent floods and Cyclone Yasi-to those who lost their personal belongings, including many irreplaceable memories, and those who returned to find their home, their ‘castle’, devastated.

Unlike those of so many of my Queensland colleagues, my electorate of Bonner was not significantly impacted by the flood in Brisbane only a matter of weeks ago. This is somewhat miraculous, given that we border on the electorate of Griffith, which I know suffered significant loss. There was certainly concern raised for the suburbs of Murarrie and Hemmant in Bonner but, given the Brisbane River did not rise to the levels originally predicted, it seems that many families and homes in these suburbs were spared. However, as many in this House would know, the eastern border of my electorate is in fact Moreton Bay, the mouth of the Brisbane River. I have had a lot of people contacting me, voicing their concerns about the plume of mud and debris dispersing through Moreton Bay.

The enormous amount of water that flowed down the Brisbane River brought with it thousands of tonnes of silt containing pollutants which are now settling in Moreton Bay. The Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management, the Healthy Waterways partnership, the CSIRO and several Queensland universities have deployed research teams into the bay in the last couple of weeks so as to understand the dynamics of the flood plume and its likely effect on seagrass, fish, dugongs, turtles, coral and other marine flora and fauna. I am completely behind these efforts and thank the many organisations for their dedication and care. So many people’s livelihoods depend on the ongoing health of Moreton Bay.

Throughout the darkest days of the flood in Brisbane, my office was able to largely remain open to assist many of the residents with information and direct people to specialist assistance as required, but this was done by only one staff member and me. All the other members of my staff were forced to remain in their homes-most without power-because most of the major roads had either been cut off by floodwater or were required by emergency services. While I readily admit that this is no real impost compared to those who were evacuated or remained in their homes hoping to hold back the water, it does give this House a sense of the gravity of what occurred and that there are few people in Brisbane and across the state of Queensland who have not been touched in some way.

Given the scale of the disaster, what I have found incredible over the last few weeks has been the community compassion in Bonner for those who have been impacted. The community spirit that emerged in the face of this disaster was a true testament to the generosity and kindness of local residents. Never before have so many people offered their help and support to those in need. I know that many in my community assisted those threatened by flood waters by filling and moving sandbags and I know that so many offered their time to volunteer in the clean-up. I saw a legion of volunteers rise up with their rakes, buckets and shovels and line up at the Brisbane City Council volunteers stations. They worked tirelessly in the mud, moving tonnes of debris, bit by bit. At MacGregor State School, just outside my electorate, I was humbled and proud to witness the thousands of volunteers who lined up patiently to help those who had been affected. They were ordinary people who just wanted to help in any way they could to do their bit and get their fellow Aussies back on their feet. In my eyes they are extraordinary.

On another practical level, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all members of the local community who so generously donated goods for inclusion in special flood care packages. My office was overwhelmed by the community’s generosity in responding to the call for donations of hygiene products and other sanitary goods that are so often forgotten in care packages for those hardest hit. The local community was truly inspiring in their call to action. Thousands of much needed hygiene and basic sanitary products were received by my office and those were divided into over 100 care packages that were donated through the Red Cross to assist flood victims who lost everything. My electorate office has continued to collect donated goods for more care packages, including things such as deodorant, razors, shampoo, conditioner and other basic hygiene products, this time in conjunction with Liberal-National Party Women to support those affected by cyclone Yasi.

I would like to place on the record my admiration and appreciation for the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Campbell Newman. Lord Mayor Newman displayed incredible leadership throughout the ordeal faced by Brisbane residents, and I would like to say thank you. There is still a big job ahead in rebuilding Brisbane, but if anyone is up to that task it is Campbell. Also, I have organised a fundraising initiative, which I will talk about at another time, to assist the victims of the floods.

On a final note, I would like to thank all Australians who have so generously donated to the various flood appeals that have been organised over recent weeks. Your generosity is humbling and, as a Queenslander, I say thank you. Again, I reiterate that the thoughts of all members of the Bonner community are with those who have been affected by recent events.

It is with regret that I rise today to expose the government’s failures in administering the Solar Hot Water Rebate. The climate change portfolio has been plagued with implementation and administrative failures ever since the government took office. Under Labor we have seen the disasters that have occurred in the Home Insulation Program, the total failure of the Green Loans scheme, the discontinuation of the solar panels program-which had a significant budget blow-out-and now the Renewable Energy Bonus Scheme-Solar Hot Water Rebate program. The administrative failures that are now occurring are having a real and significant impact on the budgets of families and pensioners in my electorate of Bonner, families and pensioners who in good faith made the financial commitment to replace their electric hot water systems with solar systems on the basis that they would receive a $1,000 rebate from the federal government within a reasonable time of outlaying their money.

It is evident now, nearly eight months after lodging their rebate application, that people like Mr Peter Lovrincevic of Mount Gravatt East are still waiting for a rebate to be forthcoming from this government, yet the state government managed to pay Mr Lovrincevic their rebate contribution within six weeks. His is a single-income family which made a significant outlay on the basis that the $1,000 rebate would be paid by the federal government. At a time when all families are feeling the pinch of higher prices, with the total cost of living rising, it is an insult for the government to delay, due to incompetence, people’s rightful rebate. This is also true for Mr Denny Lagos of Mount Gravatt, a pensioner who was trying to get the department to acknowledge receipt of his rebate application nearly four months after he submitted it, let alone being given any idea of when the rebate might be paid. So far I have not had any legitimate explanation for this administrative failure.

I ask this government to honour its commitment to Mr Lovrincevic, Mr Lagos and all other rebate applicants, who have made their commitment in good faith, and pay the rebate that they are entitled to immediately.