[494], On 12 January 2020, the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison outlined a proposal to establish a royal commission into the bushfires. [289], A 2020 study estimated that at least 3 billion terrestrial vertebrates alone were displaced or killed by the fires, with reptiles (which tend to have higher population densities in affected areas compared to other vertebrates) comprising over two-thirds of the affected, with birds, mammals, and amphibians comprising the other third. Over 130,000 hectares (320,000 acres) was burnt and the fire was out of control. The small community of Caparra lost fourteen homes in a few hours as the bushfire continued towards the small village of Bobin, where numerous homes and the Bobin Public School were destroyed in the fire. It ultimately burnt 31,268 hectares (77,260 acres). Despite this, approximately 6.8million hectares (17million acres) was burnt, an area which contributed significantly to the total area burnt by bushfires in the nation. People in the entertainment industry such as Tina Arena,[341] Patricia Arquette,[345] Cate Blanchett,[345] Russell Crowe,[346] Ellen DeGeneres,[347] Selena Gomez,[348] Halsey,[342] Nicole Kidman,[345] Lizzo,[348] Bette Midler,[342] Pink,[348] Margot Robbie,[345] Paul Stanley,[342] Jay Park,[349] Jonathan Van Ness,[348] and Phoebe Waller-Bridge[345] also made statements about the fires. Firefighters on the ground assisted by numerous waterbombing aircraft held the fire south of the motorway and prevented any property losses, containing the fire to 60 hectares (150 acres).[158]. [43], On 31 December 2019, the Defence Minister announced the ADF would provide assistance to East Gippsland, in particular the isolated high-fire-risk town of Mallacoota, deploying helicopters including a CH-47 Chinook and C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft to be based at RAAF Base East Sale and two naval vessels, HMASChoules and MVSycamore, with the vessels also able to assist in south-east New South Wales if required. One hundred and seventy-three people tragically lost their lives, 414 were injured, more than a million wild and domesticated animals were lost and 450,000 hectares of land were burned. [67] Twenty-six people were confirmed to have been killed in New South Wales since October. The 197475 bushfire season burnt over 100million hectares (250million acres), but there are different figures reported: The 2004 National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management reported a total of 102million hectares (250million acres), This page was last edited on 4 April 2023, at 01:50. [80] On 23 January this fire escalated back to emergency level as the blaze roared towards the coastal town of Moruya, a town largely unaffected by bushfires in recent weeks. [356], The government of Fiji deployed the Fiji Military Forces humanitarian assistance and disaster relief platoon and engineers to assist in the bush fire rehabilitation. [293] At least one species, the Kate's leaf-tailed gecko, had the entirety of its habitat burnt by the fires, while the long-footed potoroo had over 82% habitat burnt. Over the following days as the fire continued to progress to the south east, both Yerrinbool and Hill Top were threatened by the fire. [223] The fires killed one person,[224] more than 70 houses were destroyed, as well as over 400 outbuildings and 200 cars. We asked an ecologist", "No, koalas aren't 'functionally extinct'yet", "Bees Nest fire causes unprecedented damage to Gondwana rainforest", "Gondwana-era nightcap oak devastated by unprecedented bushfire", "Australian fires in 20192020 had even more global reach than previously thought", "Widespread phytoplankton blooms triggered by 20192020 Australian wildfires", "Grave fears held for thousands of rock art sites after bushfires lay bare irrevocable damage", "Ancient aquatic system revealed by bushfires", "Australian Bushfires Reveal Hidden Sections of Ancient Aquaculture System", "CFA sends over 300 personnel to NSW bushfires", "Victorian fire crews deployed to NSW frontline", "SA to send more help to NSW Issued 08 Nov 17:21:: CFS", "Time to 'repay the favour' as Queensland sends firefighters south", "Australian government airdrops more than 4K pounds of food to hungry animals", "Wollemi pines known as 'dinosaur trees' saved from NSW bushfires thanks to a secret firefighting mission", "Aussie Firefighters Save World's Only Groves Of Prehistoric Wollemi Pines", "Boosting Leave For APS Volunteer Firefighters", "New Payments To Support NSW Volunteer Firefighters", "Bushfire recovery agency established as Scott Morrison brushes off criticism", "Bushfire recovery costs start at $2billion but Government assistance can't pay the bills", "Defence force to support fire response with military assistance", "Authorised ADF to deploy extra assets to the Victorian fires", "Operation Bugden | Team Rubicon Australia", "Team Rubicon deployed to Busby Fire Flat bushfire victims", "WWF's "Towards Two Billion Trees" plan to aid koala bushfire recovery", "Architects Assist offers pro-bono bushfire services", "Australian architects offer free design services to bushfire victims", "DONALD TRUMP SENDS SOME "LOVE" TO AUSTRALIA DURING BUSHFIRE CRISIS", "From Tina Arena to Elizabeth Warren: the big names weighing in on Australia's bushfire crisis", "From Bernie Sanders to Bette Midler: The world reacts to the bushfires", "Not even catastrophes like these seem to bring any political action. Convoys of donated food, clothing and livestock feed were sent to affected areas. The South Australian Country Fire Service ordered ten water bombers to the area to assist 26 ground crews at the scene. [365], Over fifty New Zealanders were deployed to Australia in both direct fire fighting and support roles. [46][83] It was one of eleven large air tankers brought to Australia for the fire season from Canada and US. As further crews arrived and worked to protect properties, a C-130 Air Tanker made several fire retardant drops directly over firefighters and houses, saving the rest of the suburb. Political figures from outside Australia including Donald Trump,[340] Cory Booker,[341] Hillary Clinton,[342] Al Gore,[342] Bernie Sanders,[342] Greta Thunberg,[343][344] and Elizabeth Warren[341] all publicly commented about the fires. Land around Nowendoc and Yarrowich was also burnt. [239], In December fires in the region around Norseman blocked access to the Eyre Highway and the Nullarbor Plain and caused the highways of the region to be blocked,[240] so as to prevent any recurrence of the 2007 death of truck drivers on the Great Eastern Highway. [55] Politicians visiting fire impacted areas received mixed responses, in particular Prime Minister Scott Morrison. [278], In December 2019, the air quality index (AQI) around Rozelle, an inner suburb of Sydney, hit 2,552 or more than 12 times the hazardous level of 200. [512] An episode of Four Corners titled Black Summer comprised an audio-visual media collation of material provided by people impacted by bushfires and was broadcast in early February 2020. [536], Comedian Celeste Barber launched a fundraising appeal with a target of raising A$15,000, however it went on to raise over A$50million, making it the largest fundraiser ever held on Facebook. [113], The NSW statutory Bush Fire Danger Period normally begins on 1 October and continues through until 31 March. [350] On 8 January 2020, Prince Charles issued a video message expressing his despair at the "appalling horror" of the fires. [56][484] In an interview with Andrew Constance, NSW Liberal MP for Bega, Constance described the incident stating "the locals probably gave him the welcome he probably deserved". [31][32] A September 2021 study using satellite data estimated the CO2 emissions of the fires from November 2019 to January 2020 to be ~715 million tons, about twice as much as earlier estimates[33][34] and surpassing Australia's normal annual bushfire and fossil fuel emissions by ~80%. [537] A telethon conducted with the Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks raised more than A$2million. The work involved contributions from more than 200 scientists and experts. The Black Summer bushfires burnt an area totalling 10.2 million hectares. [465] Debate and controversy continue to surround previous funding cuts to fire management agencies, with other reports noting recent funding cuts to the National Parks & Wildlife Service, which is responsible for the planning and enforcement of prescribed burns in NSW national parks.[466][467][468][469][470]. [217], On 11 November 2019 an emergency bushfire warning was issued for Port Lincoln in the Eyre Peninsula, with an uncontrolled fire travelling towards the town. [192], On 30 December 2019, there were three active fires in East Gippsland with a combined area of more than 130,000 hectares (320,000 acres), and another in the north-east of the state near Walwa heading south-east towards Cudgewa. [511], The term black summer has become a common term for the 201920 bushfire season, for example, the Australian Red Cross uses this phrase as a blanket term for the fires. [404], Conversely, scientific experts have asserted the influence of climate change, drought, prolonged fire weather, and contextualised the limited role of prescribed burning and arson in influencing the crisis. The ten-point plan for the next ten years foresees to grow 1.56billion new trees and save 780million trees. Kangaroo Island Micro-trapdoor spiders were among the many invertebrate species affected by the fires. It became the epicentre of the biggest forest fire to have started from a single ignition point that Australia has ever known, with 444,000 ha destroyed. Thirty-three people died, including six Australian firefighters and three American aerial firefighters killed when their aircraft collided with terrain. Fires remained burning out of control, with firefighters working to contain and control fires before potentially hot windy weather scheduled for later in the week. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. One house caught alight in Lyon Avenue, but was saved by quick responding firefighters. An elderly woman had been travelling from Brisbane to Canberra by plane. [506] The Royal Commission's report was presented to the Governor-General on 28 October 2020 and published on 30 October 2020. [280] On 1 January 2020, the AQI around Monash, a suburb of Canberra, was measured at 4,650, or more than 23 times hazardous level and peaked at 7,700. (Credit: lindsay_imagery/Getty IMAGES) The Commissions prescriptions aren't so drastic considering the devastation in the wake of Black Summer: 33 dead, including nine firefighters, and Additional local firefighting resources were also used from agencies such as Air Services Australia and Sydney Trains. 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Climate Statement 71severe fire weather conditions in southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales in September 2019", "Sir David Attenborough warns of climate 'crisis moment', "Bushfire Weather in Southeast Australia: Recent Trends and Projected Climate Change Impacts", "From a single lightning strike to Australia's largest bushfire", "Nation unites to say thanks, but threat remains", "It's 12 months since the last bushfire season began, but don't expect the same this year", "Geoscience Australia's Oliver Discusses Use of Landsat during Country's Historic Fires", "Bushfire royal commission hears that Black Summer smoke killed nearly 450 people", "Enormous 'Megafire' In Australia Engulfs 1.5 Million Acres", "Australia's Environment Mid-Year Update 2019/2020", "Bushfire season starts early across northern Australia due to ongoing hot, dry conditions", "Australia's massive fires could become routine, climate scientists warn", "Victorian bushfires death toll rises as authorities confirm contractor's death was fire-related", "The numbers behind Australia's catastrophic bushfire season", "Bushfires death toll rises to 33 after body found in burnt out house near Moruya", "NSW bushfires: Body found in burnt house on NSW coast", "How The Australian Bushfires Will Impact Health", "Economic impact of Australia's bushfires set to exceed $4.4bn cost of Black Saturday", "Australian tourism industry seeks urgent help as cost of bushfires grows", "With costs approaching $100 billion, the fires are Australia's costliest natural disaster", "Australia bushfire smoke travels 12,000 kms [sic] to Chile", "Australian bushfire smoke affecting South America, UN reports", "Bushfires Release Over Half Australia's Annual Carbon Emissions", "Aerosols released from Australian bushfires triggers algal blooms", "Australian bushfire smoke caused massive phytoplankton bloom in Southern Ocean", "Vast CO2 release from Australian fires in 20192020 constrained by satellite", 1871.1/c4f7bd8b-1e9b-49bb-9604-ba873e5a4d52, "NSW Premier declares state of emergency ahead of catastrophic fire warnings", "A State of Emergency has been declared for NSW to protect communities ahead of worsening fire and weather conditions", "State of emergency declared in NSW ahead of horror fire weekend", "Victorian fires: state of disaster declared as evacuation ordered and 28 people missing", "Homes under threat as ACT declares state of emergency", "Feature: ADF Mobilises for Operation Bushfire Assist", "Australia fires: RSAF Chinooks to bring relief supplies, help with evacuation", "Three dead as air tanker fighting bushfires crashes near Snowy Mountains", "Pilot swims to shore after water bombing helicopter crashes into dam while refilling", "Queensland bushfire threat continues, water-bombing helicopter crash-lands on Darling Downs", "NSW bushfires: RFS names two firefighters killed south-west of Sydney", "RFS firefighter who died when fire tornado flipped truck during Green Valley bushfire named as Samuel McPaul", "After more than 240 days, Australia's New South Wales is finally free from bushfires", "Victoria's bushfires declared contained after deadly fire season", "Aftermath of accidental Lake Clifton fire | Photos", "Picturing destruction at home and abroad: a comparative visual analysis of icons and news values during disaster", "How the 2019 Australian bushfire season compares to other fire disasters", "Prime Minister Scott Morrison visits Great Alpine Road 'Ground Zero', "Burning: The environmental doco Scott Morrison won't want you to see hits Amazon", "Homes may be lost, RFS warns ahead of heat surge", "Catastrophic fire danger forecast for NSW", "Government set to revise total number of hectares destroyed during bushfire season to 17 million", "Half a billion animals perish in bushfires", "As fires rage across Australia, fears grow for rare species", "Nearly Half A Billion Animals Feared Dead in Australian Wildfires", "These native mice died from 'severe lung disease' after breathing bushfire smoke for just a few days", "Unprecedented season breaks all records", "NSW bushfires burn through more land than any other blazes in past 25 years", "I've been a firefighter for 20 years. The 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria caused widespread devastation and the greatest loss of life from fire since colonisation. [275], Scientific experts and land management agencies agree that severely below average fuel moisture attributed to record-breaking temperatures and drought, accompanied by severe fire weather, are the primary causes of the 201920 Australian bushfire season, and that these are likely to have been exacerbated by long-term trends of warmer and drier weather observed over the Australian land mass.

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Black Saturday was Australia's deadliest bushfire event Ten years ago, Australia experienced its worst-ever bushfire disaster when 173 people died across the state of Victoria. Oxford , Oxfordshire, Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Trust (UK) Limited. [381] The women-led Teduray people of Maguindanao initiated a sacred rain-making ritual for Australian victims, calling on the fire goddess Frayag Sarif's intercession to bring rain to the country. The message: the cause is arson, not climate change. [110], In August 2019 the federally funded Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC published a seasonal outlook report which advised of "above normal fire potential" for southern and southeast Queensland, the east coast areas of New South Wales and Victoria, for parts of Western Australia and South Australia. A decision by the New South Wales Government to cut funding to fire services based on budget estimates, as well as a holiday taken by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, during a period in which two volunteer firefighters died, and his perceived apathy towards the situation, resulted in controversy. We understood one thing clearly: we were losing what enriches our lives. [248][249] On 20 December 2019, a fire was started in the north east, which spread to 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) and destroyed one home; a man was charged with starting the fire. [135][136], In late December 2019, fires started on both sides of the Pacific Highway around the Coopernook region. ( Getty Images: John Moore ) As the impact of the bushfire season spread, the Crown Resorts Foundation and the Packer family Foundation pledged a further A$4million to volunteer fire services in NSW, Victoria and Western Australia all states in which Crown has resorts. [518] The Murdoch family donated A$5million; the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation, A$1.5million;[519] and donations of A$1million each were received from the Pratt Foundation, John and Pauline Gandel, Mike Cannon-Brookes, Scott Farquhar, and the Haines and the Perich families. The fire eventually jumped Mount Irvine Road and on 15 December, under deteriorating conditions, the fire impacted Mount Tomah, Berambing and Bilpin. But were these fires unprecedented? [508][509][510] On 31 January 2020, the NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian announced an independent investigation to review the causes, preparation and response to the bushfires in New South Wales. We must use Black Summer as an opportunity to learn and make fundamental changes.

[379], The Philippine Red Cross pledged to donate $100K to Australia,[380] while various Filipino personalities pledged support for the victims of the bush fires. [43], On 4 January 2020, following a meeting of the National Security Committee, the Morrison Government announced a compulsory call-out of Army Reserve brigades to deploy up to 3,000 reserve personnel full-time to assist with in the Operation. Most of the 44 fires sparked by dry lightning were quickly dealt with by firefighters. We have got more money today than we have ever had before in the history of the organisation". The crews were attempting to prevent the fire from crossing Croft Rd at Cudlee Creek when a wind change pushed the fire front towards them. The next day a second bushfire started, the Kallaroo Fire, which later during the day merged with the Redwood Forest fire forming the Beard Fire; the fire jumped the Molonglo River and threatened the suburbs of Beard, Harman and Oaks Estate as it burnt 424 hectares (1,050 acres). [56][57] An estimated A$500million was donated by the public at large, international organisations, public figures and celebrities for victim relief and wildlife recovery. [160] On 2 January, the fire hit the popular and historic Jenolan Caves area, destroying multiple buildings including the local fire station. The Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20 were cataclysmic: a landmark in Australias environmental history. [68][69][70] NSW also experienced the longest continuously burning bushfire complex in Australia's history, having burnt more than 4million hectares (9,900,000 acres), with 70-metre-high (230ft) flames being reported. The disaster triggered an outpouring of grief from Australia and around the world.

Solution: Governments must stop seeing spending on the environment as optional.

A fire burnt in wilderness areas on the Carrai Plateau west of Kempsey. For weeks before Black Thursday, bushfires raged uncontrolled in the Plenty Ranges, north-east of Melbourne. [citation needed] On the same day, a fire broke out in the Plenty Gorge Parklands, situated in Melbourne's northern suburbs between Bundoora, Mill Park, South Morang, Greensborough and Plenty. Andrews said that the rains could bring new dangers for firefighters, including landslides. The crews were taken back to Lobethal were they continued to assist community members whilst on foot with asset protection as the fire front moved through. Some may go extinct", "An Australian ecologist explains just how bad the fires are for wildlife", "Impact of 20192020 mega-fires on Australian fauna habitat", "Click through the tragic stories of 119 species still struggling after Black Summer in this interactive (and how to help)", "I'm searching firegrounds for surviving Kangaroo Island Micro-trapdoor spiders. [26] The cost of dealing with the bushfires is expected to exceed the A$4.4billion of the 2009 Black Saturday fires,[27] and tourism sector revenues fell by more than A$1billion. As of 28 October 2020, the fires burnt an estimated 24.3 million hectares (60 million acres; 243,000 square kilometres; 94,000 square miles ), [18] destroyed over 3,000 buildings (including 2,779 homes) [19] and killed at As of 16January2020[update] the Fingal fire had burnt over 20,000 hectares (49,000 acres) and the Pelham fire over 2,100 hectares (5,200 acres).[251][252]. By 26 December 2019, the Clyde Mountain fire was burning on the southern side of the Kings Highway, into the Buckenbowra and Runnyford areas. [281], On New Year's Day 2020 in New Zealand, a blanket of smoke from the Australian fires covered the whole South Island, giving the sky an orange-yellow haze. As of 28October2020[update], the fires burnt an estimated 24.3million hectares (60million acres; 243,000 square kilometres; 94,000 square miles),[18] destroyed over 3,000 buildings (including 2,779 homes)[19] and killed at least 34 people. Ukraine's Foreign Minister also noted that "The fires in Australia have not left the Ukrainians indifferent.". WebThe major fires peaked during DecemberJanuary. Large parts of the island are designated as protected areas and host animals such as sea lions, penguins, kangaroos, koalas, pygmy possums, southern brown bandicoots, Ligurian bees, Kangaroo Island dunnarts and various birds including glossy black cockatoos. The Black Summer fires ravaged the Australian landscape, in NSW alone 5.4 million hectares burned sending recording breaking temperatures across the country. [302], Due to the extremely dry conditions, some remnant areas of rainforest thatunlike most Australian vegetationhave not evolved and adapted to fire, were burnt in 20192020. The report cited a study by Queensland University of Technology senior lecturer on social network analysis Dr Timothy Graham, who examined content published on the #arsonemergency hashtag on Twitter. In December 2019, Australia had been ranked worst in terms of policy, and sixth worst overall, out of 57 countries assessed on the Climate Change Performance Index, with the Morrison government labelled "an increasingly regressive force.

The fire had burnt more than 258,000 hectares (640,000 acres) and was out of control. This information must be communicated to emergency responders and incorporated into regional fire management plans. The current re-working of federal environment laws provides an opportunity to change this. Let's help them out. [8], In April 2019 a group of former Australian fire services chiefs, Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, warned that Australia was not prepared for the upcoming fire season. This prompted an extraordinary firefighting effort during the Black Summer fires. The following day, after worsening conditions, the fire was upgraded to an emergency warning and began to threaten homes in the local community. We found across 13 agencies, just two threatened species were covered by a specific and accessible emergency plan: the Wollemi pine and the eastern bristlebird. [493] Morrison was further criticised for a "donate" button on a Liberal Party website page which misleadingly led to a donations page for the Liberal Party itself, rather than bushfire relief; the button was later removed. [413][414][415][416][417] The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) stated that on account of projected future climate change, hot days will become more frequent and hotter (very high confidence), and the time in drought is projected to increase over southern Australia (high confidence). [125] The peat fire was extinguished after 65 megalitres (14million imperial gallons; 17million US gallons) of reclaimed water were pumped into adjacent wetlands; followed by 260 millimetres (10in) of rain over five days. The work reveals a picture of almost unfathomable destruction. We must identify which are a priority, where they are, and how to protect them from bushfires. WebA particularly widespread event occurred in the forest and woodland regions of Australia over the summer of 2019-2020.

[91], In the Port Macquarie-Hastings area, the first fire was reported at Lindfield Park on 18 July 2019,[122] burning in dry peat swamp and threatened homes at Sovereign Hills and crossed the Pacific Highway at Sancrox.

[436][437][401] Accompanying this was a claim that environmental groups were responsible for the crisis by inhibiting prescribed burning, despite environmental groups holding negligible political power. [229][230] On 4 January it was confirmed at least two people died. The fire passed Yerranderie but continued to burn through the national park towards south-western Sydney. Part of the fire was burning in inaccessible country and continued to head in a north-westerly direction towards Bombala as well as northerly to just south of Nethercote. [290], Ecologists feared some endangered species were driven to extinction by the fires. However, as The Guardian reports "Despite the evidence, a claim persists that a major contributing factor of Australia's devastating fire season is not climate change but a conspiracy by environmentalists to 'lock up' national parks and prevent hazard reduction activities such as prescribed burning and clearing of the forest floor". [279] The level of fine particle matters, known and measured globally as PM2.5, around Sydney was also measured at 734 micrograms (0.01133gr) or the equivalent of 37 cigarettes. [citation needed], The first day of two-day cricket tour match between a Victoria XI and New Zealand in Melbourne was cancelled due to extreme heat conditions. [citation needed] As of 2January2020[update], the Currowan fire was burning between Batemans Bay in the south, Nowra in the north, and east of Braidwood in the west. [516], Andrew Forrest and his wife, Nicola, donated A$70million;[517] and the Paul Ramsay Foundation donated A$30million. Here's what you need to know, Fire management in Australia has reached a crossroads and 'business as usual' wont cut it. [528][520][519] The Wiggles performed a concert on 17 and 18 January,[529] and on 16 February at Stadium Australia in Sydney, the Fire Fight Australia concert featured local and international acts. The fires burnt 6.2 per cent of the state the largest burnt area recorded in a single fire season in eastern Australia. On 31 December 2019, a grass fire broke out in the sloped woodlands of Prospect Hill, in Western Sydney, where it headed north towards Pemulwuy along the Prospect Highway. The Black Summer forest fires of 20192020 burned more than 24 million hectares, directly causing 33 deaths and almost 450 more from smoke inhalation. [188] By 11 January three fires had merged the Dunns Road fire, the East Ournie Creek, and the Riverina's Green Valley fire and had created a 600,000-hectare (1,482,632-acre) "mega-fire", burning south of the Snowy Mountains. The biomes at risk contain fragile ecosystems that we are at risk of losing.

The Inquiry found that climate change played a major role in the summer's fires. [227], Another emergency warning was issued on 3 January for a fire near Kersbrook. Charles Darwin University, Australian National University, and Curtin University provide funding as members of The Conversation AU. [363] The aircraft left Komaki Air Base and flew to RAAF Base Richmond in New South Wales the next day. "[432], The NSW Bushfire Inquiry into the causes of the fires published their findings in July 2020. Its very hard to protect a species if we dont know it exists, where it lives or how it responds to fire. [438] Experts suggested that prescribed burning has been more difficult to achieve given recent trends towards warmer and dryer conditions. [323], On 5 January 2020, the Prime Minister announced the establishment of the National Bushfire Recovery Agency, funded initially with A$2billion, under the control of former Australian Federal Police Commissioner, Andrew Colvin. [386] To increase awareness, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world's tallest tower, lit up in solidarity with Australia.

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