WA Parliament Question on Notice regarding bushfire preparedness in schools. The Minister provides data on the number of schools at extreme/very high risk and funding allocated for mitigation.

AnsweredQoN 83Legislative Council
Asked
29 February 2024
Portfolio
Education

QuestionView source ↗

SCHOOLS — PRINCIPAL'S
GUIDE TO BUSHFIRE: PREPARE YOUR SCHOOL FOR THE BUSHFIRE SEASON
83. Hon MARTIN ALDRIDGE to the Leader of the House representing
the Minister for Education:
I refer to the Principal's
guide to bushfire: Prepare your school for the bushfire season .
(1) How many
schools does the policy apply to?
(2) Of those
identified in (1), how many schools have —
(a) an
extreme-risk rating level; and
(b) a very high–risk
rating level?
(3) What funding
is available to schools in 2023–24 to mitigate very high and extreme
bushfire risk?
(4) Given that
these schools are required to pre-emptively close when the fire behaviour index
is forecast to exceed 75, does the department consider the risks associated
with children remaining at home, potentially unsupervised, during periods of
extreme fire danger?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1) There are 162
public schools currently rated as extreme or very high on the bushfire zone
register.
(2) (a) There are
59; and
(b) there are
103.
(3) The
Department of Education has a budget totalling $1 450 200 to prepare bushfire
risk assessment and treatment plans as part of mitigating the bushfire risk for
public schools primarily rated as extreme or very high on the bushfire zone
register.
(4) The safety of
students and staff is the department's foremost priority. Although the
department does everything possible to keep schools open, when an extreme alert
is issued by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, the Department of
Education considers bushfire risk ratings and the fire behaviour index when
deciding whether to pre-emptively close a school.

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