The @abcnews Managing Director David Anderson addresses the bushfires Senate Inquiry;

“As the Government has acknowledged, the ABC’s actions during the bushfires last summer saved lives.”

Live stream the hearing here https://www.aph.gov.au/news_and_events/watch_parliament

ABC Managing Director David Anderson has restated the broadcaster's position on whether it has suffered a funding cut:
"There is a real reduction in ABC funding that has happened over time, whether it be the indexation pause or those other reductions in base."

Extraordinary story at the Bushfire Senate Inquiry about community radio station Braidwood FM which broadcast for 14 days straight with two presenters to keep locals informed about fire danger that surrounded them. Inquiry heard locals could not access any other radio stations.

"The dozer operators who were building containment lines were listening to us...to know how far behind them the fire was...people in the RFS trucks out in the field on the western side were listening to find out where the fire was on the eastern side."

Home Affairs Dept body Emergency Management Australia tells the inquiry there is still no money from this program being spent on mitigation. Says other funds being spent first https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-30/natural-disaster-bushfire-mitigation-fund-untouched/12402960