Australia is a land of extremes. From floods through to bushfires: there’s no telling what’s coming for your house next. In a bid to help people displaced by extreme weather events, Airbnb Australia has stepped in and signed an agreement with the Victorian Government which would see families put up in the company’s rental listings during times of strife.
Image: Getty
The Victorian Government announced the partnership yesterday, with the government’s Emergency Services Commissioner, Craig Lapsley, telling the ABC that the plan will be activated for “significant and major emergencies”.
The plans around the emergency Airbnb rental scheme will be formalised soon. Plans are set to be in place before the start of this year’s bushfire season.
And that’s probably a good thing: the most severe firestorm in recent memory happened in Victoria. Labelled “Black Saturday” in 2009, 173 lives were lost while a further 400 were injured. Over 1200 homes were also destroyed. [ABC]