❓ Question regarding the McGowan government's commitment to Collie through a new DFES facility, focusing on job creation and improved emergency response capabilities. The Minister outlines the $8 million investment, detailing the establishment of an incident control facility, driver training school, and relocation of the high fire season fleet.
AnsweredQoN 232Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF FIRE AND
EMERGENCY SERVICES — MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY — COLLIE
232. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to supporting the community of Collie. Can the
minister outline to the house how a new
multipurpose Department of Fire and Emergency Services facility in Collie will
not only create local jobs but also ensure the region has the
state-of-the-art resources it needs to manage large-scale bushfires and protect
the community?
EMERGENCY SERVICES — MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY — COLLIE
232. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to supporting the community of Collie. Can the
minister outline to the house how a new
multipurpose Department of Fire and Emergency Services facility in Collie will
not only create local jobs but also ensure the region has the
state-of-the-art resources it needs to manage large-scale bushfires and protect
the community?
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you very much indeed, member
for Bunbury. I thank the member for his support for all the emergency workers
in the south west.
It
was a great announcement that we made in Collie last Thursday, member for
Collie–Preston, for a new head office and facility for emergency
service workers in Collie. As the member for Collie–Preston knows, that
guarantees jobs for Collie, it improves the economy of Collie, and, most
importantly, it improves the emergency services responses for Collie. We intend
to invest $8 million into a facility that will deliver three things. Firstly,
it will establish a level 3 incident control facility. That comes after
volunteers in Collie, from both the Collie Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service
and the bush fire brigade, lobbied the Shire of Collie for a facility that
dealt with level 2 incidents in and around the Collie vicinity and in the south
west. The proposition that was put to the Shire of Collie was knocked back
because of the funding required for that facility. Of course the next week,
coincidentally, we announced that the McGowan government would be providing a level
3 incident control facility. To say that the volunteers in Collie are happy
about that is a major understatement—they are absolutely over the moon,
as is the Shire of Collie. It is a fantastic outcome for emergency services in
the south west.
The second part of the $8 million
investment is an emergency driver training school. Where that will be is
subject to negotiation with businesses, the people of Collie and the Shire of
Collie. It means that all emergency service workers—particularly those
who fall under the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, and I hope other
agencies as well—who need, for example, four-wheel drive training or
other forms of driver training, will go through Collie. They will go to Collie
to undertake that training, which is a significant boost to the economy of
Collie. It is a great outcome.
The third component of this investment is the relocation of
the high fire season fleet from O'Connor to Collie. About 80 vehicles
will be located in Collie, which means that their accessibility to other
emergency service volunteers in and around the south west and the rest of the
state will be far easier. It also means that the types of skills that are
currently in Collie, where people may well be losing their jobs as a result of
the changing nature of the economy of Collie, can be used within the Department
of Fire and Emergency Services. It is about the repair and replacement of
equipment on those vehicles. It is a great place to be able to locate the high
fire season fleet. It is a great announcement, member for Collie–Preston.
I was very, very pleased to be able to do that. As I say, it is confidence in
the town of Collie, it is confidence in the economy of Collie and it is
confidence in a far better outcome for emergency service workers in the south
west.
The SPEAKER : Member for Roe,
my apologies for missing you before.
for Bunbury. I thank the member for his support for all the emergency workers
in the south west.
It
was a great announcement that we made in Collie last Thursday, member for
Collie–Preston, for a new head office and facility for emergency
service workers in Collie. As the member for Collie–Preston knows, that
guarantees jobs for Collie, it improves the economy of Collie, and, most
importantly, it improves the emergency services responses for Collie. We intend
to invest $8 million into a facility that will deliver three things. Firstly,
it will establish a level 3 incident control facility. That comes after
volunteers in Collie, from both the Collie Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service
and the bush fire brigade, lobbied the Shire of Collie for a facility that
dealt with level 2 incidents in and around the Collie vicinity and in the south
west. The proposition that was put to the Shire of Collie was knocked back
because of the funding required for that facility. Of course the next week,
coincidentally, we announced that the McGowan government would be providing a level
3 incident control facility. To say that the volunteers in Collie are happy
about that is a major understatement—they are absolutely over the moon,
as is the Shire of Collie. It is a fantastic outcome for emergency services in
the south west.
The second part of the $8 million
investment is an emergency driver training school. Where that will be is
subject to negotiation with businesses, the people of Collie and the Shire of
Collie. It means that all emergency service workers—particularly those
who fall under the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, and I hope other
agencies as well—who need, for example, four-wheel drive training or
other forms of driver training, will go through Collie. They will go to Collie
to undertake that training, which is a significant boost to the economy of
Collie. It is a great outcome.
The third component of this investment is the relocation of
the high fire season fleet from O'Connor to Collie. About 80 vehicles
will be located in Collie, which means that their accessibility to other
emergency service volunteers in and around the south west and the rest of the
state will be far easier. It also means that the types of skills that are
currently in Collie, where people may well be losing their jobs as a result of
the changing nature of the economy of Collie, can be used within the Department
of Fire and Emergency Services. It is about the repair and replacement of
equipment on those vehicles. It is a great place to be able to locate the high
fire season fleet. It is a great announcement, member for Collie–Preston.
I was very, very pleased to be able to do that. As I say, it is confidence in
the town of Collie, it is confidence in the economy of Collie and it is
confidence in a far better outcome for emergency service workers in the south
west.
The SPEAKER : Member for Roe,
my apologies for missing you before.
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