While touring the region on Thursday with South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill Mr Abbott confirmed the victims of the fires will receive federal assistance with disaster recovery payments of $1000 for adults and $400 per child, and a 13-week Centrelink allowance for those whose incomes had been severely affected.
“This is some modest, additional Commonwealth assistance that will be made available to victims of these terrible fires here in South Australia,” Mr Abbott said.
The PM has been criticised for not responding to the bushfire emergency sooner despite being overseas and is again being condemned for not offering Commonwealth compensation to the volunteers who have lost income to go and fight the blazes in fire affected regions.
“Now, as a volunteer bushfire fighter myself in NSW, I know that volunteer bushfire fighters make sacrifices, but it’s something which I guess goes with the role and certainly never something which has deterred people from doing what they need to do to help their fellow Australians at a time of need,” The PM told reporters.
Mr Abbott tried to offer some words of comfort to fire victims.
“The worst of nature brings out the best in people,” Mr Abbott told volunteers, reports 9news.
“This has been a major incident. All of you have been flat out since Friday.
“You have responded magnificently to all of the challenges you have faced.”
During the PM’s visit rain drizzled, with up to 30 millimetres of rain falling overnight, the threat of the Sampson Flat blaze has eased and better weather predictions have allowed the Country Fire Service to declare they have contained 100 per cent of the bushfire.
As storms rolled over the state small grass fires were sparked on Wednesday afternoon and a number of “hot spots” have been specified near the Paracombe and at the Para Wirra conservation reserve.
Most residents have reportedly been allowed to return to their homes while some roads remain closed while fire crews attend to potential hazard spots.
