New South Wales Emergency Budget Outstripped 4X By Cost Of Natural Disasters
The NSW government has been hit with ballooning disaster response costs as major fires and floods continue to blow budget forecasts. The Disaster Relief Fund was allocated $95 million in this year's budget, but government spending will top $348 million, after roads were wiped out by storms, and aircraft and heavy machinery were hired to fight fires which devastated the state over summer.
Widespread bushfires between September and November have cost taxpayers $106 million so far; storms and floods cost $183 million in road restoration, while $56 million was spent continuing recovery efforts from the previous year.
Over $2 billion has been spent responding to natural disasters in NSW in the past decade, but costs have tripled in the past six years, from $106 million in 2008 to an estimated $445 million last year. ''The costs have significantly increased,'' Treasurer Mike Baird said. ''There are more events, and as events come, they are more expensive.''
He did not want to draw a link with climate change, but said the trend demands a rethink of how the government pays for natural disasters. ''My response is, whatever the cause, whether the frequency increases or reduces in the future, I have to deal with it as treasurer.''
Ed. - emphasis added, because no, no, we wouldn't want to do THAT.
EDIT
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/real-cost-of-natural-disasters-burns-up-nsw-state-budget-20140412-36k05.html