Australians whose homes become inhabitable following natural disasters will be able to more easily access temporary shelter, following the delivery this week of new emergency accommodation.
Federal Emergency Management Minister, Murray Watt saw the first national stockpile of emergency shelter handed over to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Supplied by Australian-owned Humanihuts, the mobile accommodation is a key component of the Government’s new National Emergency Management Stockpile.
The rigid, climate-controlled huts have a 20-year lifespan and can comfortably accommodate eight people with bunk beds, mattresses, black-out curtains and privacy screens.
Minister Watt said this vital national capability will support state and territory governments as they respond and recovery from natural disasters.
“In recent years we have seen the importance of emergency shelter in the aftermath of devastating natural disasters,” Minister Watt said.
“Now, as we establish Australia’s first ever National Emergency Management Stockpile, we will have access to these shelters at a moment’s notice, so we can rapidly deploy them to a disaster-area.
“We made acquiring these shelters a top priority, because when communities are impacted by a disaster, access to life sustaining resources such as safe emergency shelter is critical to reduce the overall level of harm”, he concluded.
