‘We are a ghost town’: Counting the cost of Australia’s bushfires
4 years, 11 months ago

‘We are a ghost town’: Counting the cost of Australia’s bushfires

Al Jazeera  

The agriculture and tourism industries are feeling the worst effects of Australia’s devastating bushfire season. “The costs also remain manageable for the general government, with the immediate fiscal costs expected to be less than 0.1 percent of Australia’s gross domestic product in 2020 and 2021,” Moody’s Analytics said in a recent statement. And AMP Capital’s head economist Shane Oliver predicts the fires will shave about 0.4 percentage points off Australia’s economic growth rate this year. “This is especially difficult for the areas that are beach holiday towns … which are shutting down during their peak tourist period.” Tourism accounts for 3.1 percent of Australia’s economy and employs 666,000 people, or 5.2 percent of the country’s workforce, according to government figures. Deloitte Access Economics said in a 2017 report that the total economic cost of natural disasters in Australia is growing and will reach 39 billion Australian dollars a year by 2050.

Tourism Economy Australia Economic Melbourne Town Australian Eden Fires Agriculture  cost  australian  tourism  bushfires  australias  fires  agriculture  economic  ghost  counting  national  worst  town  australia  economy

History of this topic

Black Summer bushfires cost Australia billions in lost tourism, new research reveals
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Black Summer bushfires cost Australia billions in lost tourism, new research reveals

ABC  

In short: New research reveals the Black Summer bushfires cost Australia $2.8 billion in tourism. Tourism recovery Mr Hayes said tourism in the Snowy Valleys region had improved "substantially" since the Black Summer bushfires. Australian Chamber's tourism executive chair, John Hart, said the tourism supply chain never recovered from the disruption that the Black Summer bushfires caused. John Hart says …

Australian Authorities Warn Citizens of Horrific Bushfire Season
1 year, 3 months ago

Australian Authorities Warn Citizens of Horrific Bushfire Season

News 18  

Warm winds fanned multiple blazes on Wednesday in an unusually early start to Australia’s annual fire season, prompting a state leader to warn of a “horror” summer of bushfires ahead. “Be prepared for a horror summer,” New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told a news conference in Bega. “Bushfires love this environment and it is devastating for regional communities in …

Another Black Summer for Australia? Residents told to Flee Victoria Bushfires
1 year, 3 months ago

Another Black Summer for Australia? Residents told to Flee Victoria Bushfires

News 18  

Firefighters warned people on Tuesday to flee or take shelter if it is too late to leave as warm, gusty winds fanned “very challenging” bushfires in Victoria, eastern Australia. People who had not yet left from another seven neighbourhoods were told to take shelter immediately because “it is too late to leave the area safely”. “We are experiencing spot fires …

Australian towns that are becoming uninsurable amid fears a warmer and drier summer will lead to bushfires
1 year, 3 months ago

Australian towns that are becoming uninsurable amid fears a warmer and drier summer will lead to bushfires

Daily Mail  

Towns on Australia's east coast are now regarded as most at risk of being uninsurable by 2030 because of bushfires - with a particularly hot spring and summer expected. Towns on Australia's east coast are now regarded as most at risk of being uninsurable by 2030 because of bushfires with a particularly hot spring and summer expected This would be …

'Australia is sleepwalking': A bushfire scientist explains what the Hawaii tragedy means for our flammable continent
1 year, 4 months ago

'Australia is sleepwalking': A bushfire scientist explains what the Hawaii tragedy means for our flammable continent

ABC  

As I hear reports of the fire tearing through the Hawaiian island of Maui, I feel utterly depressed. Northern Hemisphere inundated with climate disasters Photo shows Men in white shirts fight an orange blaze of fire As the global temperature hits a record high, the Northern Hemisphere is feeling the full impact of how climate change is hitting us hard …

Citizen science project hopes to boost tourism on Kangaroo Island while tracking bushfire recovery
2 years ago

Citizen science project hopes to boost tourism on Kangaroo Island while tracking bushfire recovery

ABC  

A new project is calling on holiday-makers heading to Kangaroo Island, off South Australia's mainland, to take part in a unique environmental study on their travels. Key points: Visitors to Kangaroo Island are being asked to provide useful conservation and ecology information to researchers Tourists can receive reward points to use at businesses in exchange for their help The program …

Australia faces more fires, drought as climate continues to heat
4 years, 1 month ago

Australia faces more fires, drought as climate continues to heat

Al Jazeera  

Country’s weather bureau says higher temperatures and less rainfall creating conditions for more extreme weather events. Australia’s climate is expected become hotter and drier, increasing the risk of drought and extreme weather events such as the bushfires that devastated swathes of southeastern Australia in the last southern hemisphere summer, according to the latest climate report from the country’s weather bureau. …

Australia heading into new 'fire age', warns global fire historian
4 years, 7 months ago

Australia heading into new 'fire age', warns global fire historian

ABC  

Australia could be at the beginning of a new "epoch of fire", driven by humans and climate change. Key points: This summer’s bushfires have been described as "forever fires" by fire historian Stephen Pyne March 2 was the first time in 240 days that not a single wildfire was burning in Australia The royal commission into last summer's bushfires has …

The size of Australia's bushfire crisis captured in five big numbers
4 years, 10 months ago

The size of Australia's bushfire crisis captured in five big numbers

ABC  

Many Australians just lost their summer, thanks to the recent bushfire crisis. To put that in some perspective, in New South Wales alone more than 5.4 million hectares have been burned, said Ben Shepherd from the NSW Rural Fire Service. "An average fire season here in New South Wales is typically at around 300,000 hectares," Inspector Shepherd said. "The first …

Australia's economy beats expectations ahead of bushfire, coronavirus impacts
4 years, 10 months ago

Australia's economy beats expectations ahead of bushfire, coronavirus impacts

ABC  

Australia's economy grew by a better-than-expected 0.5 per cent in the December quarter and 2.2 per cent over the past year, according to the Bureau of Statistics. Key points: Australia's GDP growth decelerated from 0.6 per cent in the September quarter to 0.5 per cent in the three months to December But the result was better than most economists forecast, …

Bushfires and coronavirus twin disasters hit Australia's tourism sector
4 years, 10 months ago

Bushfires and coronavirus twin disasters hit Australia's tourism sector

ABC  

Jason Cronshaw runs bus tours in the iconic New South Wales Blue Mountains and normally has six hop-on, hop-off buses on the road over December and January, but not this summer. Key points: Of the 9.3 million tourists that visited Australia last year, 1.4 million were from China Chinese tourism operators are concerned businesses may shut if the coronavirus outbreak …

South Coast NSW tourism industry recovering from devastating bushfire blow
4 years, 11 months ago

South Coast NSW tourism industry recovering from devastating bushfire blow

ABC  

The far south coast of New South Wales has missed a crucial six-week summer window to make the majority of its annual income as one expert tips a potential five-year recovery for some businesses. Key points: NSW south coast businesses are suffering after missing out on nearly six weeks of summer tourism Business owners are calling for both cash grants, …

Australia’s fires are burning through a key part of its economy — tourism
4 years, 11 months ago

Australia’s fires are burning through a key part of its economy — tourism

LA Times  

A two-lane road leads from Australia’s ancient limestone mountain caves in Buchan down to East Gippsland’s 90-mile strip of uninterrupted beach. “These bush fires have dealt the biggest reputational blow to our tourism industry that it has ever faced internationally,” said Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison in announcing the tourism boosting program. “My message to anyone thinking about a holiday …

Bushfire tax relief for SA victims following Kangaroo Island and Cudlee Creek blazes
4 years, 11 months ago

Bushfire tax relief for SA victims following Kangaroo Island and Cudlee Creek blazes

ABC  

South Australian bushfire victims will be exempt from some property and vehicle-related taxes and fees, the State Government has announced. Key points: Bushfires have hit several South Australian regions in recent months The State Government has announced certain property-related taxes will be waived for victims The Government said the relief measures would amount to between $1 million and $2 million …

Australian government says to support tourism industry as bushfires recede
4 years, 11 months ago

Australian government says to support tourism industry as bushfires recede

Firstpost  

By Lidia Kelly and Stefica Nicol Bikes MELBOURNE/KANAGAROO ISLAND, Australia - The Australian government said on Sunday it will provide financial aid to the country’s tourism sector that’s been badly hit by long-lasting bushfires, as business owners fretted about cancellations that stretch into the months ahead. Although recent rains have brought some relief, damage to the industry from the fires …

Bushfire recovery package to tackle Australian tourism's 'biggest challenge in living memory'
4 years, 11 months ago

Bushfire recovery package to tackle Australian tourism's 'biggest challenge in living memory'

ABC  

The Federal Government has announced a $76 million recovery package in response to this summer's bushfires, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying Australian tourism is facing "its biggest challenge in living memory". Key points: The recovery package includes funding to attract domestic and international visitors While money has also been allocated for grants for "new attractions" in bushfire affected regions …

New Year's bushfires will cost tourism industry $5BILLION
4 years, 11 months ago

New Year's bushfires will cost tourism industry $5BILLION

Daily Mail  

Australia's bushfires could cost the tourism industry $5billion by the end of the year. The Australian Tourism Export Council revealed that the tourism industry could lose more than $4.5 million in profits by the end of the year due to bushfires. Pictured: Firefighters combat a blaze in Blipin, on the outskirts of Sydney ATEC Managing Director Peter Shelley gave a …

Bushfire tourism flagged by SA Environment Minister following Kangaroo Island crisis
4 years, 11 months ago

Bushfire tourism flagged by SA Environment Minister following Kangaroo Island crisis

ABC  

Like other fire-ravaged parts of Australia, Kangaroo Island is still coming to terms with the scale of the devastation, but one MP says the problem could be part of the solution. Key points: Seal Bay has reopened after being closed for safety precautions during the bushfires Environment Minister David Speirs said the Government hopes to create a "safe corridor" through …

Data | What made the Australian bushfires so severe this season?
4 years, 11 months ago

Data | What made the Australian bushfires so severe this season?

The Hindu  

Australia is facing one of its worst bushfire seasons in history, which has caused the deaths of at least 24 people and more than one billion animals as on January 8. Searing heat In 2019, Australia was 1.52°C warmer than the average temperature between 1961 and 1990, the hottest year on record since 1900. Record temperatures image/svg+xml 1.5 1 0.5 …

Australian bushfire: Hamilton pledges $500,000 to charity
4 years, 11 months ago

Australian bushfire: Hamilton pledges $500,000 to charity

The Hindu  

Lewis Hamilton has pledged to donate $500,000 to support wildlife rescue charities and Australian fire services as the country's bushfire crisis continues. Sportsmen and women from across the globe have already offered their support in an attempt to assist those affected, with Australia cricket great Shane Warne auctioning off his baggy green cap, while Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Roger …

A continent on fire: on Australia wildfires
4 years, 11 months ago

A continent on fire: on Australia wildfires

The Hindu  

Australia’s catastrophic fire season that began in August last year is unprecedented, and has caused large scale destruction, mainly in New South Wales and Queensland. In a world set to warm at least half a degree more in coming decades, Australia’s encounters with devastating fires could become more frequent, perhaps even once in eight years, making large parts of the …

Respite from Australian bushfire unlikely as weathermen rule out significant rain; temperatures may soar for few more months
5 years ago

Respite from Australian bushfire unlikely as weathermen rule out significant rain; temperatures may soar for few more months

Firstpost  

Australia’s weather agency sees no sign of cooler weather or significant rainfall in the next few months, an unwelcome forecast for authorities who have warned that only a large downpour will halt bushfires sweeping across the country Melbourne: Australia’s weather agency sees no sign of cooler weather or significant rainfall in the next few months, an unwelcome forecast for authorities …

Australians urged to evacuate as monster bushfires regenerate
5 years ago

Australians urged to evacuate as monster bushfires regenerate

Al Jazeera  

Hot temperatures and high winds expected to fan flames of blazes that have devastated parts of country since September. The Rural Fire Service in New South Wales state told fire-weary community meetings in coastal communities south of Sydney that northwesterly winds were likely to drive blazes towards the coast once again. “Don’t get complacent from the rain we have had …

Ross Garnaut's climate change prediction is coming true and it's going to cost Australia billions, experts warn
5 years ago

Ross Garnaut's climate change prediction is coming true and it's going to cost Australia billions, experts warn

ABC  

Twelve years ago, economist Ross Garnaut made a prophecy that has devastatingly come true. Key points: The insurance damage bill from the bushfires that began in September has risen to $700 million Conservative estimates put the final cost well into the billions of dollars Australia's tourism industry could suffer, health costs could spike and there are warnings about more climate-related …

Australia’s leaders unmoved on climate action after devastating bushfires
5 years ago

Australia’s leaders unmoved on climate action after devastating bushfires

The Hindu  

Australia's government is sticking firmly to a position that there is no direct link between climate change and the country's devastating bushfires, despite public anger, the anguish of victims and warnings from scientists. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Emissions Reduction Minister, Angus Taylor, say Australia does not need to cut carbon emissions more aggressively to limit global warming, even …

Australia bushfire crisis: PM Morrison announces $2 billion for relief support
5 years ago

Australia bushfire crisis: PM Morrison announces $2 billion for relief support

The Hindu  

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday announced an additional 2 billion dollars over two years to a new agency to coordinate a national response to rebuild communities and livelihoods following the deadly bushfire crisis. “It’s a long road ahead and we will be with these communities every step of the way as they rebuild,” Morrison, who is facing widespread …

Australia commits billions of dollars to wildfire recovery
5 years ago

Australia commits billions of dollars to wildfire recovery

India TV News  

Australia’s government on Monday said it was willing to pay “whatever it takes” to help communities recover from deadly wildfires that have ravaged the country. If more is needed and the cost is higher, then more will be provided.” Morrison’s announcement of the funds, which will go toward rebuilding towns and infrastructure destroyed by the fires, came as authorities said …

Photos | Wildfire-weary Australians see no end to unprecedented calamity
5 years ago

Photos | Wildfire-weary Australians see no end to unprecedented calamity

LA Times  

Exhausted firefighters welcomed cooler weather and patchy rain in blaze-ravaged southeastern Australia Monday after a calamitous few days, even as authorities warn of a return to dangerous conditions later this week. With no end in sight to the months-long crisis, authorities are counting the cost after the weekend saw properties in small towns on the south coast of New South …

Q&A: How climate change, other factors stoke Australia fires
5 years ago

Q&A: How climate change, other factors stoke Australia fires

Associated Press  

Australia’s unprecedented wildfires are supercharged thanks to climate change, the type of trees catching fire and weather, experts say. Mike Flannigan, a fire scientist at the University of Alberta in Canada, said Australia’s fires are “an example of climate change.” A 2019 Australian government brief report on wildfires and climate change said, “Human-caused climate change has resulted in more dangerous …

Are the bushfires Scott Morrison's Hurricane Katrina moment that he can't live down?
5 years ago

Are the bushfires Scott Morrison's Hurricane Katrina moment that he can't live down?

ABC  

Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters in US history. As people yell at the Prime Minister when he visits their devastated communities, or howl for his blood on social media, the story of Bush's failure to immediately recognise a catastrophe and the urgent need for leadership it represented tells us what problems are created by Scott Morrison's …

Yuvraj Singh terms Australia bushfire tragic
5 years ago

Yuvraj Singh terms Australia bushfire tragic

The Hindu  

Former India World Cup-winning all-rounder Yuvraj Singh on Thursday termed the raging bushfire in Australia as tragic, and said it’s time some action is taken against the serious issue of climate change. In the backdrop of this critical situation, Australia is set to host New Zealand in the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground starting Friday. After Australia opener …

2019/2020 FIRE SEASON DEATH TOLL
5 years ago

2019/2020 FIRE SEASON DEATH TOLL

Daily Mail  

Well-known outback pilot Dick Lang, 78, and his 43-year-old son, Adelaide surgeon Clayton Lang, died in the Kangaroo Island bushfire after their car was trapped by flames. The national death toll of Australia's 2019/2020 bushfire season was 33 as of Monday, March 2, with 25 confirmed deaths in New South Wales, three in South Australia and five in Victoria. BREAKING …

Bushfires In Australia May Get Even Worse With 'Horrible Day' On Horizon
5 years ago

Bushfires In Australia May Get Even Worse With 'Horrible Day' On Horizon

NPR  

Bushfires In Australia May Get Even Worse With 'Horrible Day' On Horizon Enlarge this image toggle caption Darrian Traynor/Getty Images Darrian Traynor/Getty Images As hard as it may be to believe, the bushfires ravaging large swaths of Australia are likely to get worse in the coming days. Citing a menacing cocktail of high temperatures and gusty winds, Australia's Bureau of …

Fires in Australia: Seven people have died in the past 24 hours
5 years ago

Fires in Australia: Seven people have died in the past 24 hours

CNN  

CNN — Seven people have died in the past 24 hours in the Australian state of New South Wales as blazing wildfires continue to tear through bushland and towns. Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images A Royal Australian Navy MH-60R Seahawk "Romeo" helicopter refuels onboard HMAS Adelaide during Operation Bushfire Assist, on Sunday, January 5, in this image provided by the …

Australian PM Scott Morrison refuses to take blame for environmental policies causing unprecedented bushfires, insists govt was 'doing enough' to tackle climate change
5 years, 1 month ago

Australian PM Scott Morrison refuses to take blame for environmental policies causing unprecedented bushfires, insists govt was 'doing enough' to tackle climate change

Firstpost  

Australia’s Prime Minister on Thursday denied his climate policies had caused unprecedented bushfires ravaging the country and insisted his government was doing enough to tackle global warming Sydney: Australia’s Prime Minister on Thursday denied his climate policies had caused unprecedented bushfires ravaging the country and insisted his government was doing enough to tackle global warming. As blazes that have scorched …

Australia bushfires: Sydney ‘choking in smoke’ as city shrouded in hazardous fumes
5 years, 1 month ago

Australia bushfires: Sydney ‘choking in smoke’ as city shrouded in hazardous fumes

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Powerful winds fanned around 130 fires, which have been …

Australia bushfire death toll rises as fire risk spreads west
5 years, 1 month ago

Australia bushfire death toll rises as fire risk spreads west

Al Jazeera  

Four people are now known to have died in ferocious blazes on east coast with high temperatures raising risk in west. The death toll in the bushfires raging across Australia’s New South Wales state has risen to four after a man’s body was found in a scorched forest, as authorities warned on Thursday of worsening weather conditions to come. “The …

Our bushfire history shows politicians could learn a lesson from Indigenous Australia
5 years, 1 month ago

Our bushfire history shows politicians could learn a lesson from Indigenous Australia

ABC  

Flying towards Canberra from Melbourne in January 2003, the Qantas pilot told those of us seated on the starboard side of the jet we'd see something extraordinary if we peered out the window. The evidence is in art Gammage cites explorers and early settlers who commonly remarked how much of Australia looked like a "park", with plenty of grass, open …

Here’s why Australia is having a cataclysmic wildfire season
5 years, 1 month ago

Here’s why Australia is having a cataclysmic wildfire season

Salon  

California isn’t the only place with wildfire woes this year. On Sunday, the New South Wales Fire Service announced the fire threat on Monday would be “worse than originally forecast” — prompting New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian to declare a state of emergency for the next week. In mid-October, the New South Wales fire service already saw signs of …

Australia’s fires are an ‘omen’ of blazes to come
5 years, 4 months ago

Australia’s fires are an ‘omen’ of blazes to come

CNN  

CNN — Australia is battling over 100 wildfires across two states, with authorities warning that the severe blazes are an “omen” of a brutal fire season to come. In Queensland, 57 wildfires were burning as of Sunday, the state’s acting premier Jackie Trad said, while in neighboring New South Wales, 53 wildfires were burning as of Monday morning, according to …

Discover Related