❓ Mr. Simpson asks for a summary of the bushfire season, highlighting the devastation in his electorate. Mr. Johnson provides details on aerial firefighting efforts, resources used, and thanks various agencies and personnel for their work, also mentioning flood rescues.
AnsweredQoN 221Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BUSHFIRE SEASON
Yet again, we have had a hot, dry summer that has led to widespread major bushfires across the state. Indeed, my electorate was recently devastated by one of the worst fires that has been seen in the area for a long time. I continue to work with the government and the City of Armadale to help people rebuild following the destruction caused by the fire. With this in mind, will the minister please provide the house with a summary of this year’s bushfire season? Mr R.F. JOHNSON
Yet again, we have had a hot, dry summer that has led to widespread major bushfires across the state. Indeed, my electorate was recently devastated by one of the worst fires that has been seen in the area for a long time. I continue to work with the government and the City of Armadale to help people rebuild following the destruction caused by the fire. With this in mind, will the minister please provide the house with a summary of this year’s bushfire season? Mr R.F. JOHNSON
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Darling Range for the question and for his very keen interest in this particular area. I know that many of his constituents suffered during this bushfire season. He is quite right; we have seen one of the most devastating bushfire seasons on record in this last period. I want to pay tribute to the aerial firefighting fleet operated by FESA and the role it played in protecting and saving hundreds of homes. Can I also say that I believe that unit also saved lives during this bushfire season. FESA’s aerial fleet included four Helitacs, two type 1 helicopters and an intelligence gathering helicopter. The Department of Environment and Conservation also operated fixed-wing aircraft, including eight water bombers. I ask the Minister for Environment to pass my thanks and indeed the thanks of the Parliament to the Department of Environment and Conservation for the tremendous assistance it gave while working in great cooperation with FESA during this terrible time. The bushfire season for FESA’s aircraft and six DEC aircraft will officially come to a close by the end of this week; however, two fixed-wing aircraft will remain on standby for another week. The FESA fleet was activated 348 times during the southern summer bushfire season and flew more than 530 hours. The state government invested nearly $9 million this season on Western Australia’s helicopter fleet, which included bringing in additional aircraft to the state. During this bushfire season, the helicopters dropped nearly four million litres of water and foam on bushfires throughout the state, with the aircraft making more than 2 800 drops and saving approximately 300 properties. During the Roleystone bushfire, the fleet spent almost 42 hours in the air delivering over 470 000 litres of water and foam to help career and volunteer firefighters on the ground to bring the fire under control. I also want to praise our ground crew—if I can call them that—both the career and volunteer firefighters and the State Emergency Service volunteers for the tremendous work they did. The type 1 aircraft also played a significant role in rescuing people from the widespread flooding that has occurred in the north of the state over recent months. In Gascoyne Junction, the aircraft worked with the WA Police PolAir helicopter to airlift 19 people, including four children, to safety in Carnarvon. During the recent Kimberley floods, the aircraft played a lead role in relocating 217 members of the Warmun community to safety in Kununurra. I thank the aerial firefighting fleet, together with our ground firefighters, for the incredible job that they did during this bushfire season. I say a special thanks to Bill Ross and his team, who came from overseas with the type 1 helicopters, for the sterling job that they did this summer.
Mr R.F. JOHNSON replied: I thank the member for Darling Range for the question and for his very keen interest in this particular area. I know that many of his constituents suffered during this bushfire season. He is quite right; we have seen one of the most devastating bushfire seasons on record in this last period. I want to pay tribute to the aerial firefighting fleet operated by FESA and the role it played in protecting and saving hundreds of homes. Can I also say that I believe that unit also saved lives during this bushfire season. FESA’s aerial fleet included four Helitacs, two type 1 helicopters and an intelligence gathering helicopter. The Department of Environment and Conservation also operated fixed-wing aircraft, including eight water bombers. I ask the Minister for Environment to pass my thanks and indeed the thanks of the Parliament to the Department of Environment and Conservation for the tremendous assistance it gave while working in great cooperation with FESA during this terrible time. The bushfire season for FESA’s aircraft and six DEC aircraft will officially come to a close by the end of this week; however, two fixed-wing aircraft will remain on standby for another week. The FESA fleet was activated 348 times during the southern summer bushfire season and flew more than 530 hours. The state government invested nearly $9 million this season on Western Australia’s helicopter fleet, which included bringing in additional aircraft to the state. During this bushfire season, the helicopters dropped nearly four million litres of water and foam on bushfires throughout the state, with the aircraft making more than 2 800 drops and saving approximately 300 properties. During the Roleystone bushfire, the fleet spent almost 42 hours in the air delivering over 470 000 litres of water and foam to help career and volunteer firefighters on the ground to bring the fire under control. I also want to praise our ground crew—if I can call them that—both the career and volunteer firefighters and the State Emergency Service volunteers for the tremendous work they did. The type 1 aircraft also played a significant role in rescuing people from the widespread flooding that has occurred in the north of the state over recent months. In Gascoyne Junction, the aircraft worked with the WA Police PolAir helicopter to airlift 19 people, including four children, to safety in Carnarvon. During the recent Kimberley floods, the aircraft played a lead role in relocating 217 members of the Warmun community to safety in Kununurra. I thank the aerial firefighting fleet, together with our ground firefighters, for the incredible job that they did during this bushfire season. I say a special thanks to Bill Ross and his team, who came from overseas with the type 1 helicopters, for the sterling job that they did this summer.
I thank the member for Darling Range for the question and for his very keen interest in this particular area. I know that many of his constituents suffered during this bushfire season. He is quite right; we have seen one of the most devastating bushfire seasons on record in this last period. I want to pay tribute to the aerial firefighting fleet operated by FESA and the role it played in protecting and saving hundreds of homes. Can I also say that I believe that unit also saved lives during this bushfire season. FESA’s aerial fleet included four Helitacs, two type 1 helicopters and an intelligence gathering helicopter. The Department of Environment and Conservation also operated fixed-wing aircraft, including eight water bombers. I ask the Minister for Environment to pass my thanks and indeed the thanks of the Parliament to the Department of Environment and Conservation for the tremendous assistance it gave while working in great cooperation with FESA during this terrible time. The bushfire season for FESA’s aircraft and six DEC aircraft will officially come to a close by the end of this week; however, two fixed-wing aircraft will remain on standby for another week. The FESA fleet was activated 348 times during the southern summer bushfire season and flew more than 530 hours. The state government invested nearly $9 million this season on Western Australia’s helicopter fleet, which included bringing in additional aircraft to the state. During this bushfire season, the helicopters dropped nearly four million litres of water and foam on bushfires throughout the state, with the aircraft making more than 2 800 drops and saving approximately 300 properties. During the Roleystone bushfire, the fleet spent almost 42 hours in the air delivering over 470 000 litres of water and foam to help career and volunteer firefighters on the ground to bring the fire under control. I also want to praise our ground crew—if I can call them that—both the career and volunteer firefighters and the State Emergency Service volunteers for the tremendous work they did. The type 1 aircraft also played a significant role in rescuing people from the widespread flooding that has occurred in the north of the state over recent months. In Gascoyne Junction, the aircraft worked with the WA Police PolAir helicopter to airlift 19 people, including four children, to safety in Carnarvon. During the recent Kimberley floods, the aircraft played a lead role in relocating 217 members of the Warmun community to safety in Kununurra. I thank the aerial firefighting fleet, together with our ground firefighters, for the incredible job that they did during this bushfire season. I say a special thanks to Bill Ross and his team, who came from overseas with the type 1 helicopters, for the sterling job that they did this summer.
The bushfire season for FESA’s aircraft and six DEC aircraft will officially come to a close by the end of this week; however, two fixed-wing aircraft will remain on standby for another week. The FESA fleet was activated 348 times during the southern summer bushfire season and flew more than 530 hours. The state government invested nearly $9 million this season on Western Australia’s helicopter fleet, which included bringing in additional aircraft to the state. During this bushfire season, the helicopters dropped nearly four million litres of water and foam on bushfires throughout the state, with the aircraft making more than 2 800 drops and saving approximately 300 properties. During the Roleystone bushfire, the fleet spent almost 42 hours in the air delivering over 470 000 litres of water and foam to help career and volunteer firefighters on the ground to bring the fire under control. I also want to praise our ground crew—if I can call them that—both the career and volunteer firefighters and the State Emergency Service volunteers for the tremendous work they did. The type 1 aircraft also played a significant role in rescuing people from the widespread flooding that has occurred in the north of the state over recent months. In Gascoyne Junction, the aircraft worked with the WA Police PolAir helicopter to airlift 19 people, including four children, to safety in Carnarvon. During the recent Kimberley floods, the aircraft played a lead role in relocating 217 members of the Warmun community to safety in Kununurra. I thank the aerial firefighting fleet, together with our ground firefighters, for the incredible job that they did during this bushfire season. I say a special thanks to Bill Ross and his team, who came from overseas with the type 1 helicopters, for the sterling job that they did this summer.
The type 1 aircraft also played a significant role in rescuing people from the widespread flooding that has occurred in the north of the state over recent months. In Gascoyne Junction, the aircraft worked with the WA Police PolAir helicopter to airlift 19 people, including four children, to safety in Carnarvon. During the recent Kimberley floods, the aircraft played a lead role in relocating 217 members of the Warmun community to safety in Kununurra. I thank the aerial firefighting fleet, together with our ground firefighters, for the incredible job that they did during this bushfire season. I say a special thanks to Bill Ross and his team, who came from overseas with the type 1 helicopters, for the sterling job that they did this summer.
I thank the aerial firefighting fleet, together with our ground firefighters, for the incredible job that they did during this bushfire season. I say a special thanks to Bill Ross and his team, who came from overseas with the type 1 helicopters, for the sterling job that they did this summer.
Mr R.F. JOHNSON replied: I thank the member for Darling Range for the question and for his very keen interest in this particular area. I know that many of his constituents suffered during this bushfire season. He is quite right; we have seen one of the most devastating bushfire seasons on record in this last period. I want to pay tribute to the aerial firefighting fleet operated by FESA and the role it played in protecting and saving hundreds of homes. Can I also say that I believe that unit also saved lives during this bushfire season. FESA’s aerial fleet included four Helitacs, two type 1 helicopters and an intelligence gathering helicopter. The Department of Environment and Conservation also operated fixed-wing aircraft, including eight water bombers. I ask the Minister for Environment to pass my thanks and indeed the thanks of the Parliament to the Department of Environment and Conservation for the tremendous assistance it gave while working in great cooperation with FESA during this terrible time. The bushfire season for FESA’s aircraft and six DEC aircraft will officially come to a close by the end of this week; however, two fixed-wing aircraft will remain on standby for another week. The FESA fleet was activated 348 times during the southern summer bushfire season and flew more than 530 hours. The state government invested nearly $9 million this season on Western Australia’s helicopter fleet, which included bringing in additional aircraft to the state. During this bushfire season, the helicopters dropped nearly four million litres of water and foam on bushfires throughout the state, with the aircraft making more than 2 800 drops and saving approximately 300 properties. During the Roleystone bushfire, the fleet spent almost 42 hours in the air delivering over 470 000 litres of water and foam to help career and volunteer firefighters on the ground to bring the fire under control. I also want to praise our ground crew—if I can call them that—both the career and volunteer firefighters and the State Emergency Service volunteers for the tremendous work they did. The type 1 aircraft also played a significant role in rescuing people from the widespread flooding that has occurred in the north of the state over recent months. In Gascoyne Junction, the aircraft worked with the WA Police PolAir helicopter to airlift 19 people, including four children, to safety in Carnarvon. During the recent Kimberley floods, the aircraft played a lead role in relocating 217 members of the Warmun community to safety in Kununurra. I thank the aerial firefighting fleet, together with our ground firefighters, for the incredible job that they did during this bushfire season. I say a special thanks to Bill Ross and his team, who came from overseas with the type 1 helicopters, for the sterling job that they did this summer.
I thank the member for Darling Range for the question and for his very keen interest in this particular area. I know that many of his constituents suffered during this bushfire season. He is quite right; we have seen one of the most devastating bushfire seasons on record in this last period. I want to pay tribute to the aerial firefighting fleet operated by FESA and the role it played in protecting and saving hundreds of homes. Can I also say that I believe that unit also saved lives during this bushfire season. FESA’s aerial fleet included four Helitacs, two type 1 helicopters and an intelligence gathering helicopter. The Department of Environment and Conservation also operated fixed-wing aircraft, including eight water bombers. I ask the Minister for Environment to pass my thanks and indeed the thanks of the Parliament to the Department of Environment and Conservation for the tremendous assistance it gave while working in great cooperation with FESA during this terrible time. The bushfire season for FESA’s aircraft and six DEC aircraft will officially come to a close by the end of this week; however, two fixed-wing aircraft will remain on standby for another week. The FESA fleet was activated 348 times during the southern summer bushfire season and flew more than 530 hours. The state government invested nearly $9 million this season on Western Australia’s helicopter fleet, which included bringing in additional aircraft to the state. During this bushfire season, the helicopters dropped nearly four million litres of water and foam on bushfires throughout the state, with the aircraft making more than 2 800 drops and saving approximately 300 properties. During the Roleystone bushfire, the fleet spent almost 42 hours in the air delivering over 470 000 litres of water and foam to help career and volunteer firefighters on the ground to bring the fire under control. I also want to praise our ground crew—if I can call them that—both the career and volunteer firefighters and the State Emergency Service volunteers for the tremendous work they did. The type 1 aircraft also played a significant role in rescuing people from the widespread flooding that has occurred in the north of the state over recent months. In Gascoyne Junction, the aircraft worked with the WA Police PolAir helicopter to airlift 19 people, including four children, to safety in Carnarvon. During the recent Kimberley floods, the aircraft played a lead role in relocating 217 members of the Warmun community to safety in Kununurra. I thank the aerial firefighting fleet, together with our ground firefighters, for the incredible job that they did during this bushfire season. I say a special thanks to Bill Ross and his team, who came from overseas with the type 1 helicopters, for the sterling job that they did this summer.
The bushfire season for FESA’s aircraft and six DEC aircraft will officially come to a close by the end of this week; however, two fixed-wing aircraft will remain on standby for another week. The FESA fleet was activated 348 times during the southern summer bushfire season and flew more than 530 hours. The state government invested nearly $9 million this season on Western Australia’s helicopter fleet, which included bringing in additional aircraft to the state. During this bushfire season, the helicopters dropped nearly four million litres of water and foam on bushfires throughout the state, with the aircraft making more than 2 800 drops and saving approximately 300 properties. During the Roleystone bushfire, the fleet spent almost 42 hours in the air delivering over 470 000 litres of water and foam to help career and volunteer firefighters on the ground to bring the fire under control. I also want to praise our ground crew—if I can call them that—both the career and volunteer firefighters and the State Emergency Service volunteers for the tremendous work they did. The type 1 aircraft also played a significant role in rescuing people from the widespread flooding that has occurred in the north of the state over recent months. In Gascoyne Junction, the aircraft worked with the WA Police PolAir helicopter to airlift 19 people, including four children, to safety in Carnarvon. During the recent Kimberley floods, the aircraft played a lead role in relocating 217 members of the Warmun community to safety in Kununurra. I thank the aerial firefighting fleet, together with our ground firefighters, for the incredible job that they did during this bushfire season. I say a special thanks to Bill Ross and his team, who came from overseas with the type 1 helicopters, for the sterling job that they did this summer.
The type 1 aircraft also played a significant role in rescuing people from the widespread flooding that has occurred in the north of the state over recent months. In Gascoyne Junction, the aircraft worked with the WA Police PolAir helicopter to airlift 19 people, including four children, to safety in Carnarvon. During the recent Kimberley floods, the aircraft played a lead role in relocating 217 members of the Warmun community to safety in Kununurra. I thank the aerial firefighting fleet, together with our ground firefighters, for the incredible job that they did during this bushfire season. I say a special thanks to Bill Ross and his team, who came from overseas with the type 1 helicopters, for the sterling job that they did this summer.
I thank the aerial firefighting fleet, together with our ground firefighters, for the incredible job that they did during this bushfire season. I say a special thanks to Bill Ross and his team, who came from overseas with the type 1 helicopters, for the sterling job that they did this summer.
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