Credit : Anthony Albanese's X
CANBERRA, November 9, 2026 — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced fresh support for bushfire preparedness and first-responder mental health as the country enters what the government warns could be a very tough summer under a strengthening El Nino.
In a post on his X account, Albanese said: “Whatever this summer brings, we’re ready to respond. We’re boosting funding for bushfire preparedness and making sure our first responders have the mental health support they need. Because while we hope for the best, we’ll prepare for the worst together.”
Speaking at a press conference in the National Situation Room in Canberra with Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain, Albanese said Australia was “well and truly” into the high-risk weather season. He cited fires already in the Northern Territory, floods in Queensland, and warm, dry conditions expected for much of the summer, “supercharged by the El Nino impact.”
According to a joint statement from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Minister for Emergency Management, the additional package strengthens the Australian Fire Danger Rating System, extends the National Bushfire Intelligence Capability managed by CSIRO, continues the North Australia and Rangelands Fire Information Service operated by Charles Darwin University, and extends Fortem’s mental health and wellbeing support for emergency first responders through to December 2027.
Albanese said the fire danger rating upgrades would help ensure that ratings mean the same thing in every state and territory — an uplift that emergency agencies have long sought. The National Bushfire Intelligence Capability is meant to give governments nationally consistent risk intelligence to guide preparedness and mitigation, while the northern fire information service helps Indigenous ranger groups and land managers monitor fire activity in some of Australia’s most fire-prone regions.
The government also pointed to earlier investments already in place for this season: multi-year backing for the National Aerial Firefighting Fleet through the National Aerial Firefighting Centre, a National Emergency Management Stockpile said to be at record levels, the AusAlert national warning system ready for use by agencies nationwide, and Temporary Disaster Roaming arrangements with telecommunications companies so people can stay connected during emergencies.
Interim Coordinator-General of the National Emergency Management Agency Pat Hetherington said the stockpile includes physical holdings such as generators, soft shelters and water purification systems, plus procurement arrangements for rapid resupply. Aerial firefighting aircraft have been pre-positioned across the country.
Albanese urged Australians to pack an emergency kit, make an evacuation plan, enable alerts and follow local authorities’ advice. He thanked paid and volunteer emergency service workers protecting communities nationwide.
Disaster management spending has risen sharply in recent budgets as climate-driven extremes intensify. Officials stressed that while exact timing of extreme events cannot be predicted, the government was determined to stand ready to respond.
McBain and Albanese also highlighted that the aerial firefighting investment funds national multi-use aircraft that supplement state and territory fleets, including large air tankers and helicopters that can support flood response, evacuations and resupply as well as firefighting. The government said those capabilities would be available wherever and whenever disasters strike this season.
Source: https://x.com/AlboMP/status/2119554910719217852
Credit : Anthony Albanese’s X
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