Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced emergency disaster payments for people affected by a major bushfire in Grampians National Park, approximately 230 km west of Melbourne. Albanese today assessed the damage caused by the ongoing bushfire.
He informed, federal and state government disaster recovery payments will be available from tomorrow for workers and sole traders directly affected by the fire. The payments will provide up to 13 weeks’ worth of income support.
The bushfire began after a lightning struck on 6th of December and has burnt through over 70,000 hectares of farmland, national park and private property.
No injuries have been reported, but significant livestock was lost is reported. However, authorities have warned that they expect the fire to continue burning for several weeks.