Rawnsley found 18.1 million people were affected by flood through 2022,the largest direct impact of any natural disaster,going back to the mid-2010s.
Of that number,7.6 million or 93 per cent of all people in NSW had their daily lives changed in some way by flooding. In Queensland about 97 per cent of residents or 5.3 million were affected,while in Victoria almost 4.6 million.
Storms affected 7.6 million people in NSW,5.3 million in Queensland and just over 4.6 million in Victoria for a national total of almost 18 million,making it the second-largest natural disaster in Rawnsley’s records. About 70 per cent lived in a local government area affected by floods or storms.
Last year’s heavy rains meant the only jurisdiction with many people hit by bushfire was South Australia,at just 8000. That compares with 8.3 million people affected by fires during 2019.
Rawnsley said the numbers showed the growing importance of governments to protect critical infrastructure from the impact of climate change.
“A significant portion of our current infrastructure was originally constructed to withstand weather conditions based on historical patterns,” he said.
“It is highly probable that natural disasters and extreme events will continue to present substantial fiscal risks and impact to Australia’s productivity. Therefore we must act now to ensure we have resilient infrastructure for future Australians.”