Transcript - Interview on Sky News Regional Breakfast with Jaynie Seal

JAYNIE SEAL: Joining me live is Minister for Regional Development, Kristy McBain. Good morning to you. You're in Bundaberg this morning, sunny Bundaberg. So, tell us what you think of the Made in Australia campaign.

KRISTY MCBAIN: Morning, Jaynie. It’s really clear that our government is investing in the future of this country. We went to the last election saying we needed to make more things here and we should learn the lessons that COVID taught us, which was that we'd become far too reliant on other countries to import the products, and the services in many respects, that we needed in this country. It's why we took the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund to the last election. It's why we're helping businesses to skill up, but also to build up their manufacturing base right here in this country. This is the next step on that future Made in Australia policy, and the Prime Minister will outline more detail today.

SEAL: All right, let's turn to the weather situation. We've seen of late, very heavy falls leading to a lot of flooding. We've spoken to quite a few farmers who are rejoicing in this rain, saying it's a game-changer for agriculture and the like. There's been a lot of damage as well. It's never perfect, is it? But a lot of areas missed out as well. What can you tell us from what you're hearing across the regions?

MCBAIN: The forecast weather event of last week showed widespread flooding right across the east coast. It didn't eventuate in as many places as we thought, but we still have some areas that have been significantly impacted, including in the Hunter and around Wollongong areas, which have been inundated with flooding. Those areas are now subject to that natural disaster declaration and help is flowing into those communities, which is incredibly important. We are hearing from a lot of farmers across the regions that the added rain has really helped with what will be a dry season for them, which is fantastic. As you said, it's never perfect. Some people have done well out of this weather event. Other people have not done so well. The government is there investing in those places where we have those disaster declarations. My colleague, Minister Murray Watt has done that declaration and we are working with those impacted council areas now to make sure that we can assist them get that infrastructure back up and running, assisting people with those thousand-dollar disaster payments being processed as quickly as possible.

SEAL: It's always great when we hear that help is there. We also know we're in such a cost-of-living crisis and many people are concerned about insurances. The premiums are going up. And with future weather events, which many experts are saying are going to be more severe with increase of climate change, what can you tell us that the government is looking at in terms of providing more support?

MCBAIN: In that disaster space, we are doing a lot of proactive work. We've created the National Emergency Response Centre. We've got a national stockpile of emergency supplies, which includes water, shelter and energy generation. We advanced $1.6 billion to the states and territories in anticipation of the poor weather season that we potentially were going to have over that summer period. We're doing a lot of things proactively, including investing in things like the Bushfire Resilience app. It’s basically an app that you go through in your own home to get some suggestions of what you can do. We've now seen insurers come on board and say, if you implement one or more steps on that app, we will reduce your premiums, we'll give you discounts on your premiums. We've seen a bank get involved now, and trials in the Shoalhaven area. If you go through that app, they will actually give you a discount on your home loan as well. Things like that, which produce a practical response for a homeowner to make their house more bushfire resilient, but also gives you discounts with your insurer and your bank by going through that app. We want to see more banks and more insurers jump on board, because we've got homeowners across the country trying to do the right thing to make themselves more resilient come the next natural disaster.

SEAL: We've run out of time, but just quickly, you're in Bundaberg today, there with the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

MCBAIN: At the flight simulator here, the first of its kind in the world. Previously, our pilots had to go to Tampa, Florida, to get this type of training. We're now doing that here in Bundaberg, which is fabulous. That's on the back of an announcement yesterday of a 250-metre conveyor belt, so we can get more of our products exported across the world from a regional port like Bundaberg. All happening right across regional Australia, and I’m really proud to be part of the Albanese Labor Government delivering these great infrastructure projects.

SEAL: Minister Kristy McBain, thank you so much. Enjoy the rest of your day in Bundaberg.