CAZ Heise, the Independent candidate for Cowper, is calling for the creation of a dedicated National Emergency Response Force, resourced with a fleet of specialised aerial fire-fighting units, to address what she calls the biggest threat to everyday people across the Mid North Coast.

Ms Heise said while a strong Armed Forces is needed to protect Australia from foreign aggression, the threat of climate change is a larger and more immediate danger, and so deserves its own specialist tactical response unit.

“Due to the Coalition’s criminal denial of climate change the people of Cowper have never been as exposed to the impacts of natural disasters,” Ms Heise said.

“After the recent Lismore flood disaster the Government announced an extra 20,000 places for the army, but like everything this government does, it doesn’t address the real problem.

“It still hasn’t delivered on its promise to invest in state-of-the-art aerial fire fighting units following the devastating

Black Summer bushfires, and nor has it done enough to help people who lost everything to get their lives back on track.”

Ms Heise said climate change modelling predicts more severe fires, storms and flood events for the Hastings, Macleay, Nambucca and Bellinger Valleys.

“It’s time we were all better prepared,” she said.

Ms Heise envisions an National Emergency Response Force working hand in hand with local SES crews to respond when natural disasters hit.

“My vision would be for local leadership and knowledge to continue to drive the response effort.

“Experts on the ground would call in the National Emergency Response Force to help as needed with specialist equipment and emergency crews.

“They would be crucial to everything from the rapid evacuation of people through to recovery and rebuilding.

“No-one knows how floods and fires will behave better than the locals on the ground, but they don’t always have all the rescue resources and personnel they need.

“All too often their local knowledge is overruled by experts based in city offices.

“That has proven to be dangerous and has to stop.

“At the moment we also rely too heavily on people freely giving of their time to help others when disasters strike.

“I would like to see more fully trained and paid professionals in local areas, and a system of remuneration in place to support volunteers and the businesses which graciously let them respond to emergencies.

“I also see the National Emergency Response Force undertaking detailed risk assessments in known disaster hotspots to improve our national preparedness.”