Canberra, June 2 -- Natural disasters cost the Australian economy billions of dollars in the first months of 2025, according to government data.
In an analysis published on Monday, the federal Treasury said that natural disasters in the first five months of 2025 caused a 2.2-billion-Australian-dollar (1.4 billion USD) decline in economic activity.
Over the five-month period to the end of May, Australia's east coast states of New South Wales and Queensland were hit by widespread historic flooding and Cyclone Alfred became the first cyclone to hit southeast Queensland in 50 years when it made landfall in March.
Other parts of the country were also hit by severe storms, cyclones and bushfires during the period.
The Treasury anal...