Bega MP Andrew Constance is pleading for cash donations and government payments to flow more quickly to devastated bushfire communities which he says are facing a humanitarian crisis | AlexSmithSMH
"The one point I would make, politically, is agility is the key so don't make an announcement about money if you aren't going to put it in bank accounts that same day," he said.
"We've got mobile service teams on the ground every day in bushfire zones to help people get access to the federal government's support and for people who can, the quickest way to find out how we can help is to call 180 22 66."has been told that federal government cash can hit accounts in as little as 30 minutes but it can take up to four days depending on the bank.
But he said it was also critical that government bureaucracy asked what people needed and wanted, rather than making decisions on their behalf."There has been a great deal of public empathy, which is why you have seen so many donations of things like clothes, but government needs to be very cautious about identifying what people actually want and need," Professor McFarlane said.
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