Prime Minister Anthony Albanese provides update on extreme weather across Australia | ABC NEWS

Australians across the country are facing extreme and dangerous weather conditions with bushfires burning in multiple states, but particularly Victoria, and severe weather across far north Queensland and the northwest Queensland region. My thoughts are with Australians in these regional communities at this very difficult time. Once again, I remind people to follow the advice of authorities. This is a time where Australians are once again showing that at the worst of times, we see the best of the Australian character. We see volunteers helping their fellow Australians. We see the rural fire service, emergency services, police. We also see our federal authorities, particularly the National Emergency Management Agency here in Canberra, that's coordinating activity and making such a positive difference since its establishment just a few years ago. What this means is that responses can be very fast. And today already I've had discussions with the Victorian premier and the Queensland premier as well as being in regular ongoing contact over which will continue over coming days. I want to specifically send my thoughts to those Victorians who have had the devastating news that they've lost their homes over the last 24 hours. This will be incredibly traumatic for them and one of the issues that needs to be dealt with of course after in the aftermath of something like this is for mental health support to be provided at this time. Overnight the Victorian premier has declared a state of disaster in 18 local government areas. She notified me after 10:00 last night that that had occurred. Our minister Christy McBain is traveling to Victoria today to lead our federal response. There are multiple dangerous bushfires burning across Victoria, some of which pose a threat to life and property for those who live, work, or holiday in those areas. And the situation is far from over and a massive firefighting effort is underway as we speak. This is a crucial time for Victorians to listen to the advice of emergency services and be ready to enact emergency plans. And of course the Victorian government in triggering that state of disaster gives them powers to take action to make sure that more people aren't put into dangerous situations whether they be members of the population or indeed those volunteers and emergency service workers who also we want to minimize the risk to them. The ADF have been requested to provide accommodation support for the Victorian Country Fire Service and once again we see our defense force personnel providing that support both through personnel but also through infrastructure. This includes access and use of Gaza Ridge barracks in South Bandana and potentially other facilities in the state if required. Orders have been issued to action this request. In other states, advice remains to listen to the advice of emergency services, regularly checking for updates online or through media and being ready to enact those emergency plans. In Queensland, I've just had a good discussion with Premier Chris Fully. He was speaking from their emergency center about to have a meeting there in Queensland. In Queensland, a tropical low is slowly developing. It's expected to move across the coast south of Townsville at this point in time, but this is a moving weather system. So people in that entire region need to stay alert. There is now a high chance of this system intensifying further. So we need to between now and tomorrow when it's expected to cross the coast be vigilant about seeking advice there. Heavy rain is already falling of course and is expected to continue over the weekend. Dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding will become a risk along the Queensland East Coast. Once again, I remind people if it's flooded, forget it. Do not risk it. If there's water on the road and you can't see the bitumen, then you don't know what is below the water. And too many lives have been risked in people thinking that they can just drive through and that also of course places risk for those people who need to go in to provide assistance. Because rivers are already up and the ground is already saturated, it means waterways, creeks, and rivers will tend to rise faster and higher than people may be used to. The premier told me this morning as well that already the figures are something like 40,000 stock lost. But that figure is expected to be far higher over coming days. Those assessments will come in. I'll call for Brenda Moon, the NEMA coordinator general, to make some comments.