❓ Mr Castrilli asks about the progress of the Department of Parks and Wildlife in addressing WorkSafe improvement notices issued after the Black Cat Creek fire. The Minister responds with an update on compliance and ongoing improvements.
AnsweredQoN 120Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT
OF PARKS AND WILDLIFE — WORKSAFE IMPROVEMENT NOTICES
120. Mr G.M. CASTRILLI to the
Minister for Environment:
Could the minister please update the house on the progress
being made by the Department of Parks and Wildlife in addressing the WorkSafe
improvement notices that were issued following the tragic Black Cat Creek fire?
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, member for Gosnells. I do not know when he is moving to that electorate,
but I call you to order for the first time.
OF PARKS AND WILDLIFE — WORKSAFE IMPROVEMENT NOTICES
120. Mr G.M. CASTRILLI to the
Minister for Environment:
Could the minister please update the house on the progress
being made by the Department of Parks and Wildlife in addressing the WorkSafe
improvement notices that were issued following the tragic Black Cat Creek fire?
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, member for Gosnells. I do not know when he is moving to that electorate,
but I call you to order for the first time.
AnswerView source ↗
At the start, I say that it is a very appropriate time for
the member for Bunbury to ask that question. Obviously, Department of Parks and
Wildlife officers, along with other firefighting officers, have been out at
Bedfordale this morning doing a very good job so far to contain the fire.
The Department of Parks and Wildlife, as members know, was
issued with 10 WorkSafe improvement notices following the Black Cat Creek fire
in October 2012. Today, right at the outset, I would like to acknowledge the
efforts of the fire management staff from the Department of Parks and Wildlife
who have completed a significant body of work from those improvement notices
and who have been adopting and enabling substantial changes to the department's
fire management business. I am pleased to advise that WorkSafe has now accepted
notification of compliance for nine of these improvement notices. The tenth, as
I have mentioned in this place previously, relates to the upgrades of fire
trucks to include a cab-deluge system. Investigations are ongoing in that area,
and we currently have an extension from WorkSafe to complete those works.
However, as I have reported earlier, the south west fleet is now fully upgraded
with lagging to all the wiring, plastic components replaced, heat shield
curtains—the whole works.
However, a significant component of complying with these
notices has been the delivery of training and information to staff involved in
fire operations, which has comprised a significant component of meeting these
compliance requirements. Staff have received preseason training in fire safety,
including the use and correct storage of fire blankets, which is a very
important component following the Black Cat Creek fire, as well as the use of
the red flag warning system, and there is a clear understanding across the
region of what that involves. Staff have also received training in fire
readiness, including personal preparation for out-of-hours availability and the
arrival at and departure from a fire. Also included in the training were
instructions on delivering and receiving standard format briefings. Of
particular importance has been the delivery of training and information
regarding how staff can interpret spot weather forecasts from the Bureau of
Meteorology; work has been done in this space as well. Drills have been an
integral part of the training process as we have prepared for and gone into
this season. These drills have included scenario-based burn-over drills, as
well as the correct use of the Western Australian emergency radio network
communication system. Also, the Department of Parks and Wildlife —
Dr A.D. Buti : Are
you reading that out?
Mr A.P. JACOB : No,
member. The Department of Parks and Wildlife —
The SPEAKER :
Member for Armadale, if you shout out again, you will be asked to leave the
chamber. You are on four calls.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Not only are we prepared for this fire season, but also the
Department of Parks and Wildlife has, henceforth, initiated systems to ensure
that this training will be repeated annually prior to the commencement of every
fire season, with all relevant staff required to participate in training prior
to fire operations. You never arrive, I believe, in this area. Having met
compliance in those nine areas, more work will be done in areas above and
beyond those. One particular area that I would like to inform the house of is
that the Department of Parks and Wildlife is also involved in the process of
upgrading all its personal protective equipment for its firefighting fleet in
order to take advantage of the latest technologies in this area as they
develop.
the member for Bunbury to ask that question. Obviously, Department of Parks and
Wildlife officers, along with other firefighting officers, have been out at
Bedfordale this morning doing a very good job so far to contain the fire.
The Department of Parks and Wildlife, as members know, was
issued with 10 WorkSafe improvement notices following the Black Cat Creek fire
in October 2012. Today, right at the outset, I would like to acknowledge the
efforts of the fire management staff from the Department of Parks and Wildlife
who have completed a significant body of work from those improvement notices
and who have been adopting and enabling substantial changes to the department's
fire management business. I am pleased to advise that WorkSafe has now accepted
notification of compliance for nine of these improvement notices. The tenth, as
I have mentioned in this place previously, relates to the upgrades of fire
trucks to include a cab-deluge system. Investigations are ongoing in that area,
and we currently have an extension from WorkSafe to complete those works.
However, as I have reported earlier, the south west fleet is now fully upgraded
with lagging to all the wiring, plastic components replaced, heat shield
curtains—the whole works.
However, a significant component of complying with these
notices has been the delivery of training and information to staff involved in
fire operations, which has comprised a significant component of meeting these
compliance requirements. Staff have received preseason training in fire safety,
including the use and correct storage of fire blankets, which is a very
important component following the Black Cat Creek fire, as well as the use of
the red flag warning system, and there is a clear understanding across the
region of what that involves. Staff have also received training in fire
readiness, including personal preparation for out-of-hours availability and the
arrival at and departure from a fire. Also included in the training were
instructions on delivering and receiving standard format briefings. Of
particular importance has been the delivery of training and information
regarding how staff can interpret spot weather forecasts from the Bureau of
Meteorology; work has been done in this space as well. Drills have been an
integral part of the training process as we have prepared for and gone into
this season. These drills have included scenario-based burn-over drills, as
well as the correct use of the Western Australian emergency radio network
communication system. Also, the Department of Parks and Wildlife —
Dr A.D. Buti : Are
you reading that out?
Mr A.P. JACOB : No,
member. The Department of Parks and Wildlife —
The SPEAKER :
Member for Armadale, if you shout out again, you will be asked to leave the
chamber. You are on four calls.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Not only are we prepared for this fire season, but also the
Department of Parks and Wildlife has, henceforth, initiated systems to ensure
that this training will be repeated annually prior to the commencement of every
fire season, with all relevant staff required to participate in training prior
to fire operations. You never arrive, I believe, in this area. Having met
compliance in those nine areas, more work will be done in areas above and
beyond those. One particular area that I would like to inform the house of is
that the Department of Parks and Wildlife is also involved in the process of
upgrading all its personal protective equipment for its firefighting fleet in
order to take advantage of the latest technologies in this area as they
develop.
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