Multi-mln dollar gov't fund granted by Australian gov't to help outback communities prevent bushfires

The Australian government on Monday allocated 2 million U.S. dollars to help prevent deadly bushfires from ravaging rural Victorian communities.

Victoria, which was hit by its worst ever bushfires back in 2009, is a hot-spot for summer blazes, and the government believes the funds, as part of the Commonwealth's National Bushfire Mitigation Programme, will go a long way to raising awareness and assisting the prevention of bushfires.

Australia's Minister for Justice Michael Keenan said minimizing the risks for those in bushfire-prone communities was a priority for the Coalition government.

"Bushfires are a fact of life in Australia and they can be devastating for the communities in their path," Keenan said in a statement on Monday.

"We're funding projects that will help to minimize risks to communities from bushfires and reduce the costs of reconstruction and recovery."

The Black Saturday Bushfires that ravaged parts of the state in 2009 claimed 173 lives and injured hundreds more, destroying communities in the process.

Victoria's Minister for Emergency Services, Jane Garrett, said prevention was the best way to fight the inevitable dangers that bushfires bring during the hot Australian summer.

"Victoria is prone to bushfires and this funding will help to limit the effect and consequences of natural disasters on our communities," she said in a statement.

The grant is part of the Commonwealth's National Bushfire Mitigation Programme which has allocated 11.06 million U.S. dollars to help local communities mitigate the risks across the nation. Enditem