❓ Mr Waldron asks about the review of the Boddington and Northcliffe bushfires. The Minister for Emergency Services provides details on the review's scope, funding, and submission process, highlighting the collaborative effort and praising a local volunteer.
AnsweredQoN 365Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BODDINGTON AND NORTHCLIFFE BUSHFIRES —
REVIEW
365. Mr T.K. WALDRON to the Minister for
Emergency Services:
I read today that a review to
examine the bushfires that occurred in February in our south west will soon
commence. Can the minister provide the house with some further details on this
review?
REVIEW
365. Mr T.K. WALDRON to the Minister for
Emergency Services:
I read today that a review to
examine the bushfires that occurred in February in our south west will soon
commence. Can the minister provide the house with some further details on this
review?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Wagin for his
question. Yes, he is correct; today, the State Emergency Management Committee
announced a review of the Lower Hotham and O'Sullivan fires in Western
Australia at the start of this year. They are more commonly known as the
Boddington and Northcliffe fires. The review will be funded under the natural
disaster resilience program. Quite frankly, I will take any money from the commonwealth
I can get. If the commonwealth wants to fund the review, we welcome that
commitment from it.
The review will have three key terms
of reference that will examine what happened during those two major level 3
fires burning at the same time earlier this year that put significant strains
on the state's resources. The three key areas include operational
communications, interstate resource deployment and interagency collaboration. A
number of different individuals and volunteer groups have contacted my office
asking how they can have their say about the way those two fires were managed.
They will be pleased to know that any organisation, volunteer, individual or
community group can make a submission to the State Emergency Management
Committee's review of those fires.
Ms M.M. Quirk :
Will those submissions be made public?
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
That will be a matter for the State Emergency Management Committee. It will
make a recommendation to me at the time and I will have a look at it. At the
moment, I cannot foresee why eventually they would not be made public. No
agency or individual group has a monopoly on good ideas and there is always
room for improvement. That is why we do reviews of major incidents such as what
happened in Boddington and Northcliffe.
To put these two fires into context,
they were both level 3 fires burning at the same time and were fought with over
190 appliances, 400 emergency services personnel, firefighters and staff from
organisations including—I hate listing these off because I might forget
someone—volunteer bushfire brigades, volunteer fire and rescue
services, volunteer fire services, volunteer emergency services, career fire
and rescue services, State Emergency Service, Department of Parks and Wildlife,
WA Police, the Forest Products Commission and, of course, the Australian
Defence Force. They were all part of the team that combatted and assisted in
those two fires that combined burnt over 144 000 hectares.
Lastly, although I am reluctant to
mention any particular individuals, sometimes in this job one meets a particular
person who absolutely reinvigorates one's belief in the wonderful power
of humanity. Out at Boddington, I met a lovely lady called Elizabeth Hoek, who
members would know. She works in the Boddington Community Resource Centre. Even
after her own house burnt down, she was still there helping other members of
the community. She is an absolute
inspiration. I hope that during this bushfire season the number of properties
lost are kept to a minimum. The loss of just one house can obviously have a
significant impact on a family or an individual. It is a wonderful credit to
Elizabeth Hook that even after her house burnt down, she was volunteering and
helping people. It is worth noting that this is national Volunteer Week. I pass
on my regards to her.
question. Yes, he is correct; today, the State Emergency Management Committee
announced a review of the Lower Hotham and O'Sullivan fires in Western
Australia at the start of this year. They are more commonly known as the
Boddington and Northcliffe fires. The review will be funded under the natural
disaster resilience program. Quite frankly, I will take any money from the commonwealth
I can get. If the commonwealth wants to fund the review, we welcome that
commitment from it.
The review will have three key terms
of reference that will examine what happened during those two major level 3
fires burning at the same time earlier this year that put significant strains
on the state's resources. The three key areas include operational
communications, interstate resource deployment and interagency collaboration. A
number of different individuals and volunteer groups have contacted my office
asking how they can have their say about the way those two fires were managed.
They will be pleased to know that any organisation, volunteer, individual or
community group can make a submission to the State Emergency Management
Committee's review of those fires.
Ms M.M. Quirk :
Will those submissions be made public?
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
That will be a matter for the State Emergency Management Committee. It will
make a recommendation to me at the time and I will have a look at it. At the
moment, I cannot foresee why eventually they would not be made public. No
agency or individual group has a monopoly on good ideas and there is always
room for improvement. That is why we do reviews of major incidents such as what
happened in Boddington and Northcliffe.
To put these two fires into context,
they were both level 3 fires burning at the same time and were fought with over
190 appliances, 400 emergency services personnel, firefighters and staff from
organisations including—I hate listing these off because I might forget
someone—volunteer bushfire brigades, volunteer fire and rescue
services, volunteer fire services, volunteer emergency services, career fire
and rescue services, State Emergency Service, Department of Parks and Wildlife,
WA Police, the Forest Products Commission and, of course, the Australian
Defence Force. They were all part of the team that combatted and assisted in
those two fires that combined burnt over 144 000 hectares.
Lastly, although I am reluctant to
mention any particular individuals, sometimes in this job one meets a particular
person who absolutely reinvigorates one's belief in the wonderful power
of humanity. Out at Boddington, I met a lovely lady called Elizabeth Hoek, who
members would know. She works in the Boddington Community Resource Centre. Even
after her own house burnt down, she was still there helping other members of
the community. She is an absolute
inspiration. I hope that during this bushfire season the number of properties
lost are kept to a minimum. The loss of just one house can obviously have a
significant impact on a family or an individual. It is a wonderful credit to
Elizabeth Hook that even after her house burnt down, she was volunteering and
helping people. It is worth noting that this is national Volunteer Week. I pass
on my regards to her.
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