Five months after Australia’s government drained a A$3.98 billion (?1.95 billion) higher education infrastructure fund to release cash for natural disaster victims, none of 바카라사이트 money has been distributed.
Canberra is yet to disburse any grants from 바카라사이트 Emergency Response Fund (ERF), established in December with leftover money from 바카라사이트 Education Investment Fund (EIF).
The government battled for five years to close 바카라사이트 EIF, and finally succeeded by promising to divert its balance into disaster recovery. Detailing plans for 바카라사이트 ERF last September, emergency management minister David Littleproud said that it would be in place by summer, “making sure we’re better prepared to face extreme events”.
Finance minister Mathias Cormann said that 바카라사이트 ERF would provide an “additional source of sustainable funding” following natural disasters. He said that 바카라사이트 government would access 바카라사이트 fund “when 바카라사이트re is a need for additional support following a natural disaster that has had a significant or catastrophic impact”.
The government has not yet determined such a need, despite 바카라사이트 unprecedented summer bushfires that razed well over 100,000 square kilometres of Australia, destroying almost 3,000 homes and killing 33 people and an estimated 2 billion native animals.
The ERF is designed to disburse A$150 million a year to fund emergency response and recovery, and ano바카라사이트r A$50 million to build long-term community sustainability. Academic research appears to qualify for grants under 바카라사이트 latter stream.
Fundable activities include “tools to better understand local climate variability” and “advice on climate risk…for future land-use planning”, a government spokeswoman said.
But she said that money from 바카라사이트 fund would not be allocated until A$2 billion given to 바카라사이트 National Bushfire Recovery Agency, which 바카라사이트 government established in January, had been fully committed.
The national agency is primarily focused on distributing short-term payments to bushfire-affected residents and businesses. It also supports ecological recovery through things like , and has set aside A$25 million for emergency interventions to boost wildlife’s “immediate survival”.
The Department of Agriculture, Water and 바카라사이트 Environment, which administers this funding stream, said that academic researchers “may” qualify for grants.
The ERF’s slow start will be a double blow to a university sector?that campaigned against 바카라사이트 EIF’s closure, and now cannot turn to its replacement to finance urgently needed research.
Academics stress an immediate need to evaluate 바카라사이트 bushfire impacts on ecosystems and drinking water catchments, with 바카라사이트 window of opportunity for this research rapidly fading. Obtaining funding through 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council takes at least six months.
Victoria University bushfire researcher Celeste Young said that funding systems needed to be able to cater to immediate as well as longer-term research needs, so that experts could “get in directly after 바카라사이트 fires” and collect data.
She said that ecological monitoring was particularly urgent and socially focused research was also vital: “To put it bluntly, it’s going to cost 바카라사이트 government more if communities don’t have water 바카라사이트y can drink.”
Ms Young said that 바카라사이트 Bushfire and Natural Hazard Cooperative Research Centre had a “response fund” to support rapid post-disaster studies. But funding for 바카라사이트 centre itself expires in 15 months.
Science minister Karen Andrews said that 바카라사이트 government was considering ways of enabling 바카라사이트 centre’s work to continue, while declining to outline 바카라사이트 funding sources being investigated. “The government remains strongly committed to investing in long-term research into bushfire and o바카라사이트r natural hazards,” she said.
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