Anika Wells MP on 4BC with Scott Emerson

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
4BC NIGHTS WITH PETER FEGAN
THURSDAY, 3 MARCH 2022

SUBJECTS: Brisbane floods; Unspent Emergency Response Fund.

PETER FEGAN, HOST: Anika Wells is the federal member for Lilley and has been getting her hands dirty on Brisbane’s northside. She joins me on the line. Anika, firstly, how are the people on the northside faring?

ANIKA WELLS, MEMBER FOR LILLEY: Well, tonight we're relieved that the severe storm warnings were cancelled this afternoon and this evening. So that's a big relief. It gave everybody a bit more time to clean up today than we were expecting.

FEGAN: I won't repeat…I won't repeat what you said to me on the phone a little bit earlier. But you were getting your hands dirty today, weren't you? 

WELLS: Yeah, I was in the thick of it but I think that's where we should be.

FEGAN: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I think that's good.

WELLS: I mean it’s where everybody else is too isn't it? 

FEGAN: All right. Yeah. There's so many people are in the same position. But this is what I wanted to put you. There's been so many tales of survival, so many heart-warming stories as well. Now, you are one of the busiest politicians I've ever met. You're always out there. Tell us some of the things that have been standing out for you.

WELLS: Well, I do have…I'm on a mission and I was hoping that you and your listeners might help me?

FEGAN: Yeah?

WELLS: When I was when I was doorknocking in Deagon on Monday, down Finnie Rd. Now Deagon, the suburb, got decimated by the floods. It's mostly low-set homes. Probably one two-storey home every six or seven houses. And each of those two-storey homes ended up with 14 people on their balcony when all the low-set homes got…

FEGAN: Wow. 14?

WELLS: Yeah, 14 on one, 11 on the next one. And they were saying there were people in tinnies just doing laps of the street. And there was this man, tinnie man from Finnie Road, and all night…

FEGAN: So we've got to find tinnie man. 

WELLS: We’ve got to find tinnie man from Finney road. Someone gave me what they thought was his house number and I went and doorknocked him and he wasn't home. But they said he, you know, he was taking three dogs through. When they came back 20 minutes later, he had a mum and toddler with him. And then 20 minutes later, he came back and he had two older ladies with him. So I do want to find and thank tinnie man.

FEGAN: The tinnie man of Finnie Road. Alright, if you are the tinnie man of Finnie Rd give us a call and we will get you in touch with Anika Wells. I want to put this one to you - people's possessions. And this is one that has been really hard for me Anika, as you walk along the streets. And I've been out in Kenmore for the last few days helping my parents, helping people in the street. You know, you see the people of Auchenflower, Milton, all those areas. It's been difficult, and look there's so many people. But the hardest thing for me, I've got to say, is having a look at people's positions on the street, covered in mud, that are now getting picked up in a tip truck. That must be difficult for you to see as well.

WELLS: It is, I think it's for two reasons. One, like I was doing that today with a lady named Kit. Because we had, it was like her entire life was destroyed. It took about 15 of us two and a half, three hours to get it all out. And then she was there trying to triage things she could save versus things that we're going to have to go. So it's not just looking at your life and deciding what can be salvaged. But it's having 15 strangers there moving your stuff in and out and having to direct them on what you want to try and save. So I think there's that element to it. And then there's the other element, which people are finding with insurance companies where you know, best practice is that they want to send the claims assessor out to look through your stuff before you get rid of it. But when it’s 33 degrees and baking hot in Brisbane, like it's been this arvo and …

FEGAN: It gets so muggy doesn't it? And know what's coming. 

WELLS: It’s like soup.

FEGAN: Now Anika Wells, you have one minute and 25 seconds to get stuck into the federal government. Go for it.

WELLS: There is nearly $5 billion sitting in the Emergency Response Fund which was set up several years ago, with Labor support, to be sort of like a future fund to fight natural disasters. Do things like flood mitigation, flood levees, that kind of thing. Not a single disaster mitigation project has been completed by this government with that money. What better time than now with Brisbane’s unprecedented floods or things like the unprecedented bushfires, to start using that fund to mitigate against future disaster. We could draw down $200 million a year without even eroding the principle of that fund and put $200 million a year, which is what Labor would like to do, towards disaster mitigation. But this government will not budge on it and I'm infuriated by it.

FEGAN: It wouldn't be it wouldn't be right to have Anika Wells on without having a crack. You are passionate, I'll give you that. Just quickly. What is your favourite Aussie spirit song? When you think of Aussie spirit, what's the first song that comes to mind?

WELLS: Great Southern Land. What do you reckon?

FEGAN: Oh, how good is that? It is such a good song. I went with Horses with Daryl Braithwaite. But look, Great Southern Land…

WELLS: Horses is great, but it does take you a while to get there don't you reckon?

FEGAN: It does but it's so good. Anika Wells thank you so much and look, stay safe, stay dry. We wish all the people of the northside well. Cling on for the next few days, it’s going to be a wild ride. We really appreciate your time. We'll catch up again very soon.

WELLS: Thanks for checking in Peter.

ENDS