Counting the costs of Australia's bushfires

It's not easy to estimate the total economic cost of Australia's bushfires that have burnt through vast areas of the country, especially as the fire season may continue as late as March. The total impact on human lives, the economy and environment is complicated and some costs may continue to grow for years to come. 

Considering the cost of the Australian bushfires.

The guests were Mayor of Shoalhaven Shire, Amanda Findley; Australian Laureate Fellow in Economics, University of Queensland, John Quiggin; Professor of Economics, Deakin Business School, Researcher, Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, Mehmet Ulubasoglu; and the Chief Economist, The Australia Institute, Richard Denniss.

Listen to the ABC podcast, The Money - “Counting the costs of Australia's bushfires.”

Western Australia bushfire out of control as temperatures expected to surge above 40C

An out-of-control bushfire has burnt through more than 11,000 hectares of land north of Perth with residents urged to leave while they still can.

The West Australian bushfire has burned through 5,000 hectares since Wednesday.

It comes as New South Wales firefighters upgraded the Gospers Mountain blaze to an emergency on Saturday afternoon, and police launched an investigation into a spate of fires in regional Victoria.

The Perth blaze was moving west after an early morning wind change, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said on Saturday.

“People in Guilderton should leave now in a northerly direction if the way is clear as fire is approaching the area,” DFES said.

The emergency warning had also been extended to residents in Two Rocks, Neergabby, Gabbadah, Seabird, Wanerie, Breton Bay, Yeal, Beermullah, Muckenburra, northern parts of Yanchep, Wilbinga, Caraban, and Woodridge.

Read the story from The Guardian by Helen Davidson - “Western Australia bushfire out of control as temperatures expected to surge above 40C.”