Sydney's iconic New Year's Eve fireworks will go ahead despite the wildfire crisis to show the world Australia's resiliency, the prime minister said, while authorities on Sunday braced for conditions to deteriorate with high temperatures.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison also announced financial support for some volunteer firefighters in New South Wales, the state worst hit by wildfires ravaging the nation.
Morrison said that eligible volunteer firefighters will receive 300 Australian dollars a day, up to AU$6,000 in total, if called out to battle blazes for more than 10 days. The compensation focused on people who are self-employed or work for small and medium businesses. The opposition Labor party has been pressing the government to consider widespread compensation for volunteer firefighters.
The program is expected to cost AU$50 million but will be uncapped with the first AU$10 million being made available next month. Morrison said it would be offered to other states and territories requesting help.New South Wales, the country's most populous state, has received the brunt of the wildfire catastrophe, which has killed nine people nationwide and razed more than 1,000 homes in the past few months.
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