❓ Hon. Sally Talbot questions the Minister for Lands regarding the allocation of Royalties for Regions funding for bushfire risk mitigation following the Waroona-Yarloop bushfires, focusing on personnel, prioritization, funding sustainability, metropolitan area allocation, and backlog treatment.
AnsweredQoN 1082Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
WAROONA–YARLOOP BUSHFIRES — FERGUSON REPORT —ROYALTIES
FOR REGIONS FUNDING
1082. Hon SALLY TALBOT to the minister
representing the Minister for Lands:
I refer to the government's
recently stated intention in its response to the Ferguson report to allocate
$15 million from royalties for regions funding to treat bushfire risk on
state-owned land.
(1) Where will the personnel be
sourced to undertake mitigation activities?
(2) How will these activities be
prioritised as well as supervised and by whom or what agency?
(3) Is this allocation of $15 million
intended to be recurrent or a one-off payment?
(4) How much
money has been allocated for treatment of bushfire risk on state-owned land in
the Perth metropolitan area?
(5) What time
period has been estimated to address the backlog in treating priority hazard
reduction on state-owned land?
FOR REGIONS FUNDING
1082. Hon SALLY TALBOT to the minister
representing the Minister for Lands:
I refer to the government's
recently stated intention in its response to the Ferguson report to allocate
$15 million from royalties for regions funding to treat bushfire risk on
state-owned land.
(1) Where will the personnel be
sourced to undertake mitigation activities?
(2) How will these activities be
prioritised as well as supervised and by whom or what agency?
(3) Is this allocation of $15 million
intended to be recurrent or a one-off payment?
(4) How much
money has been allocated for treatment of bushfire risk on state-owned land in
the Perth metropolitan area?
(5) What time
period has been estimated to address the backlog in treating priority hazard
reduction on state-owned land?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice
of this question.
(1) It is
expected the personnel undertaking the required work will comprise local
contractors, local volunteer bush fire brigades and local government
authorities.
(2) For the 2016–17
financial year, $740 000 of the $15 million will be used for on-ground bushfire
mitigation activities on unallocated crown land and unmanaged reserves within
the regional town sites. These activities have already been prioritised by
regional staff of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and necessary
contracts will be vetted and overseen by the Department of Fire and Emergency
Services.
Broader use of the $15 million
funding, including the arrangements for the more holistic prioritisation of
competing bids and the responsibility for oversight of funded on-ground works
is to be progressively phased in from 2017–18, in conjunction with the
implementation of the state government's response to the various
recommendations of the special inquiry into the January 2016 Waroona fire.
(3) The $15 million
allocation from royalties for regions was intended to seed the establishment of
a new mitigation activity fund. Other more sustainable sources of funding to
continue the MAF for the medium to longer term are to be considered in
conjunction with the state government's response to the various
recommendations of the special inquiry into the January 2016 Waroona fire.
(4) A multitude
of state government entities hold land within the Perth metropolitan area that
span multiple ministerial portfolios and, as such, consolidated data of such a nature
is not readily available.
(5) The full
extent of the bushfire risk on state-owned lands across the state will not
become known until the rollout of the new bushfire risk management planning
process has been completed.
of this question.
(1) It is
expected the personnel undertaking the required work will comprise local
contractors, local volunteer bush fire brigades and local government
authorities.
(2) For the 2016–17
financial year, $740 000 of the $15 million will be used for on-ground bushfire
mitigation activities on unallocated crown land and unmanaged reserves within
the regional town sites. These activities have already been prioritised by
regional staff of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and necessary
contracts will be vetted and overseen by the Department of Fire and Emergency
Services.
Broader use of the $15 million
funding, including the arrangements for the more holistic prioritisation of
competing bids and the responsibility for oversight of funded on-ground works
is to be progressively phased in from 2017–18, in conjunction with the
implementation of the state government's response to the various
recommendations of the special inquiry into the January 2016 Waroona fire.
(3) The $15 million
allocation from royalties for regions was intended to seed the establishment of
a new mitigation activity fund. Other more sustainable sources of funding to
continue the MAF for the medium to longer term are to be considered in
conjunction with the state government's response to the various
recommendations of the special inquiry into the January 2016 Waroona fire.
(4) A multitude
of state government entities hold land within the Perth metropolitan area that
span multiple ministerial portfolios and, as such, consolidated data of such a nature
is not readily available.
(5) The full
extent of the bushfire risk on state-owned lands across the state will not
become known until the rollout of the new bushfire risk management planning
process has been completed.
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