❓ Ms. Quirk questions the Minister for Environment about the delay in finalising interagency arrangements between DFES and DPaW for bushfire management. The Minister for Environment defers to the Minister for Emergency Services, who states the agreement was signed 12 months prior and praises interagency cooperation.
AnsweredQoN 199Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT
OF FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES AND DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND WILDLIFE —
INTERAGENCY ARRANGEMENTS
199. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the
Minister for Environment:
Mr Speaker —
Several members interjected.
Ms M.M. QUIRK : At
least it is original.
The
SPEAKER : Members! I do not want the wall of noise.
Ms
M.M. QUIRK : I refer to attempts to establish formal and comprehensive
state-level interagency arrangements between the Department of Fire and
Emergency Services and the Department of Parks and Wildlife since 2012. I see
that the minister is being given a hand by the Minister for Emergency Services.
Mr
C.J. Barnett : Whom are you asking it of?
Ms
M.M. QUIRK : The Minister for Environment.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : You are not helping yourself, member for Girrawheen. Just ask the
question. Start again and ask the question, please.
Ms
M.M. QUIRK : My question without notice is to the Minister for Environment.
I refer to attempts to establish formal and comprehensive state-level
interagency arrangements between DFES and DPaW since 2012 and a draft agreement
prepared in 2013, but stalled.
(1) What is the impediment to
finalising these arrangements?
(2) What has the minister done
personally to expedite the finalisation of interagency statewide agreements?
(3) Does the
minister concede that the non-existence of such a joint arrangement continues
to hamper effective management of bushfire responses?
Mr
A. Krsticevic interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Carine, I call you to order for the first time.
OF FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES AND DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND WILDLIFE —
INTERAGENCY ARRANGEMENTS
199. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the
Minister for Environment:
Mr Speaker —
Several members interjected.
Ms M.M. QUIRK : At
least it is original.
The
SPEAKER : Members! I do not want the wall of noise.
Ms
M.M. QUIRK : I refer to attempts to establish formal and comprehensive
state-level interagency arrangements between the Department of Fire and
Emergency Services and the Department of Parks and Wildlife since 2012. I see
that the minister is being given a hand by the Minister for Emergency Services.
Mr
C.J. Barnett : Whom are you asking it of?
Ms
M.M. QUIRK : The Minister for Environment.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : You are not helping yourself, member for Girrawheen. Just ask the
question. Start again and ask the question, please.
Ms
M.M. QUIRK : My question without notice is to the Minister for Environment.
I refer to attempts to establish formal and comprehensive state-level
interagency arrangements between DFES and DPaW since 2012 and a draft agreement
prepared in 2013, but stalled.
(1) What is the impediment to
finalising these arrangements?
(2) What has the minister done
personally to expedite the finalisation of interagency statewide agreements?
(3) Does the
minister concede that the non-existence of such a joint arrangement continues
to hamper effective management of bushfire responses?
Mr
A. Krsticevic interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Carine, I call you to order for the first time.
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) My
understanding from what the Minister for Emergency Services was saying just
then, and given that he is the lead minister and that is the way we follow up
these processes —
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Girrawheen!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : The Minister for Emergency Services has just advised me that
that was signed around 12 months ago. It is a good opportunity to talk about
the response on the ground that occurs between our agencies. Again, we have had
a difficult bushfire season. This is reflective of the changing climate and the
environment that we find ourselves in as a state. I just want to place on the
record—this is an opportunity from the member for Girrawheen—my
sincere thanks and appreciation to all our brigades for what they have been
doing on the ground. There has obviously been some media interest in and around
the place for interagency cooperation. All the feedback I get on the ground is
that when it comes to crunch time, those agencies work very well together, also
with volunteers, doing the absolute best that they can in very difficult
circumstances. That is the position that this government takes forward—supporting
all our firefighters, be they from Parks and Wildlife, within the Department of
Fire and Emergency Services or volunteer firefighters. I contrast that with the
member for Girrawheen's comment earlier in the piece when we took a policy
position when we were faced with those bushfires around Yarloop and found our
resources significantly stretched. I heard some very interesting comments from
the member. She has form in this place. She came out in that week and
criticised us for taking on board contractors to make sure that we had people
in place to ensure that the member for Collie–Preston's town —
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members! I want an answer through the Chair. I do not want this
deteriorating.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : I think the member for Girrawheen should speak to the member
next to her to ensure that when resources are stretched in those incidents, we
have resources on the ground ready to protect should spot fires flare up —this
is an incident that often occurs—and to ensure that towns such as
Collie are defended.
The effort from Fire and Emergency
Services over a difficult season through all agencies has been outstanding and
something that we as a government are particularly proud of.
understanding from what the Minister for Emergency Services was saying just
then, and given that he is the lead minister and that is the way we follow up
these processes —
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Girrawheen!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : The Minister for Emergency Services has just advised me that
that was signed around 12 months ago. It is a good opportunity to talk about
the response on the ground that occurs between our agencies. Again, we have had
a difficult bushfire season. This is reflective of the changing climate and the
environment that we find ourselves in as a state. I just want to place on the
record—this is an opportunity from the member for Girrawheen—my
sincere thanks and appreciation to all our brigades for what they have been
doing on the ground. There has obviously been some media interest in and around
the place for interagency cooperation. All the feedback I get on the ground is
that when it comes to crunch time, those agencies work very well together, also
with volunteers, doing the absolute best that they can in very difficult
circumstances. That is the position that this government takes forward—supporting
all our firefighters, be they from Parks and Wildlife, within the Department of
Fire and Emergency Services or volunteer firefighters. I contrast that with the
member for Girrawheen's comment earlier in the piece when we took a policy
position when we were faced with those bushfires around Yarloop and found our
resources significantly stretched. I heard some very interesting comments from
the member. She has form in this place. She came out in that week and
criticised us for taking on board contractors to make sure that we had people
in place to ensure that the member for Collie–Preston's town —
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members! I want an answer through the Chair. I do not want this
deteriorating.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : I think the member for Girrawheen should speak to the member
next to her to ensure that when resources are stretched in those incidents, we
have resources on the ground ready to protect should spot fires flare up —this
is an incident that often occurs—and to ensure that towns such as
Collie are defended.
The effort from Fire and Emergency
Services over a difficult season through all agencies has been outstanding and
something that we as a government are particularly proud of.
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