Social Security (Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment) (Western and Darling Downs Bushfires - October 2023) Determination (LIN 23/083) 2023 (No. 5)

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Issued by authority of the Minister for Emergency Management

Social Security Act 1991

Social Security (Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment—Western and Darling Downs Bushfires – October 2023) Determination (LIN 23/083) 2023 (No. 5)

1. The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (the AGDRP) provides an immediate, one-off payment to a person adversely affected by a major disaster.
2. Section 1061K of the Social Security Act 1991 (the Act) specifies the qualification criteria for the AGDRP. One of the qualification criteria requires a person to be ‘adversely affected by a major disaster’.
3. Subsection 1061L(1) of the Act provides that, for the Act, a person is adversely affected by a major disaster if the person is affected by the disaster in a way determined by the Minister in relation to the disaster.
4. Subsection 1061L(2) of the Act provides that the Minister may determine in writing, for a major disaster, the circumstances in which persons are to be taken to be adversely affected by the disaster.
5. Subsection 36(1) of the Act empowers the Minister to determine in writing that an event is a major disaster if the Minister is satisfied that an event is a disaster that has such a significant impact on individuals that a government response is required, or the event is an emergency to which a national emergency declaration relates.
6. The Minister has made a determination under subsection 36(1) of the Act that applies only to the bushfire that commenced on 16 October 2023 in Queensland affecting the local government areas of Toowoomba and Western Downs.
7. The Social Security (Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment) (Western and Darling Downs Bushfires – October 2023) Determination (LIN 23/083) 2023 (No. 5) (the Determination) sets out the circumstances in which a person is to be ‘adversely affected’ by the major disaster.
8. Section 1 specifies the name of the Determination.
9. Section 2 provides that the Determination commences on the day it is signed. For section 12 of the Legislation Act 2003, the Determination may commence before it is registered as it will not disadvantage any persons adversely affected by the disaster.
10. Section 3 provides definitions relevant to the Determination, including destroyed, immediate family member, major asset or assets, major damage and seriously injured and principal place of residence.
11. Subsection 4(1) provides that the Determination applies to the major disaster being the bushfire that commenced on 16 October 2023 in Queensland affecting the local government areas of Toowoomba and Western Downs.
12. Subsection 4(2) provides that the circumstances in which a person is taken to be adversely affected by the major disaster described in subsection 4(1) are if:

(a) the person is seriously injured as a direct result of the disaster (paragraph 4(2)(a)); or

(b) the person is an immediate family member of an Australian citizen or resident who is missing and presumed killed or killed as a direct result of the disaster (paragraph 4(2)(b)); or

(c) the person’s principal place of residence has been destroyed or has major damage as a direct result of the disaster (paragraph 4(2)(c)); or

(d) a major asset or assets of the person has or have been destroyed or suffered major damage as a result of the disaster; or

(e) the person is a carer of a child to whom paragraphs 4(2)(a), (b), (c) or (d) apply (paragraph 4(2)(e)).

13.     Subsection 1061L(3) of the Act provides that a determination under section 1061L is a legislative instrument. However, the Determination is not subject to disallowance by the Parliament as subsection 1061L(3) of the Act provides that section 42 of the Legislation Act 2003 does not apply to it.

14.     Formal consultation has not been undertaken as the Determination was required to commence as a matter of urgency.