❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses the Lewana plantation fire, inquiring about compensation for landowners, FPC insurance, contractor insurance, and potential compensation claims against the contractor. The response indicates no compensation was paid due to the accidental nature of the fire and advice from relevant authorities.
AnsweredQoN 39Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
FORESTRY — LEWANA
PLANTATION FIRE
39. Hon DIANE EVERS to minister representing the Minister
for Forestry:
I refer to the Lewana plantation
fire in February 2019.
(1) Has the Forest Products Commission considered
payment of any form of compensation to nearby landowners for the loss of
property, clean-up and business income; and, if not, why not?
(2) Does the FPC have insurance for
fire damage on its own plantations; and, if not, why not?
(3) Does the FPC
confirm that contractors used in harvesting operations have necessary
insurances in place prior to work being commenced?
(a) If yes, does it sight or require
a copy of the policy or certificate of currency?
(b) If not, why not?
(4) Is the FPC seeking compensation from its contractor,
given the fire was started as a result of the contractor's actions during harvesting operations?
(a) If not, why
not?
PLANTATION FIRE
39. Hon DIANE EVERS to minister representing the Minister
for Forestry:
I refer to the Lewana plantation
fire in February 2019.
(1) Has the Forest Products Commission considered
payment of any form of compensation to nearby landowners for the loss of
property, clean-up and business income; and, if not, why not?
(2) Does the FPC have insurance for
fire damage on its own plantations; and, if not, why not?
(3) Does the FPC
confirm that contractors used in harvesting operations have necessary
insurances in place prior to work being commenced?
(a) If yes, does it sight or require
a copy of the policy or certificate of currency?
(b) If not, why not?
(4) Is the FPC seeking compensation from its contractor,
given the fire was started as a result of the contractor's actions during harvesting operations?
(a) If not, why
not?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
The following information has been provided by the Minister for Forestry.
(1) No. The cause
of the fire was investigated by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services,
and it was determined that it was an accident caused by heavy machinery.
Therefore, the Insurance Commission and the State Solicitor's Office
have advised that liability for the fires does not fall with the Forest
Products Commission.
(2) No. It is not customary for
public agencies to require such insurance.
(3) Yes.
(a) Yes.
(b) Not applicable.
(4) The FPC is investigating all
options.
(a) Not applicable.
The following information has been provided by the Minister for Forestry.
(1) No. The cause
of the fire was investigated by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services,
and it was determined that it was an accident caused by heavy machinery.
Therefore, the Insurance Commission and the State Solicitor's Office
have advised that liability for the fires does not fall with the Forest
Products Commission.
(2) No. It is not customary for
public agencies to require such insurance.
(3) Yes.
(a) Yes.
(b) Not applicable.
(4) The FPC is investigating all
options.
(a) Not applicable.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.