It is essential that people are able to have their immediate health care needs met following a natural
disaster. The communities hardest hit by the 2019-20 bushfires were rural, regional and remote
areas which already have both poorer access to health care as well as generally poorer health
outcomes on account of social, economic and environmental factors. And workforce challenges are a
perennial problem in rural communities only made worse by times of natural disaster. So there
needs to be a concerted effort from all levels of government to ensure that, following natural
disaster, health care workers and health infrastructure are available in affected areas to deal with
physical trauma as well as immediate mental health issues. In many ways this was handled well in
the 2019-20 bushfire season, but it must be an important part of planning for future natural
disasters.
Submission