❓ Hon Rick Mazza questions the Minister for Emergency Services regarding the deployment, cost, and effectiveness of a large air tanker sent from NSW to WA for bushfire response, and future policy on its use. The Minister provides answers regarding cost finalisation, evaluation plans, and national cost-sharing arrangements.
AnsweredQoN 259Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
FIRE AND EMERGENCY
SERVICES — LARGE AIR TANKER
259. Hon RICK MAZZA to the minister representing the
Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the response to my
question without notice 145, asked on 10 March 2020, regarding the Boeing 737
large air tanker that was sent to Western Australia from New South Wales in
December 2019 to bolster the state's fire response capabilities.
(1) When does the
minister anticipate that the cost of the large air tanker deployment will be
known?
(2) Will the minister make this
information available to the public?
(3) Will the
Department of Fire and Emergency Services be assessing the effectiveness of the
seven drops made in WA?
(4) Will its report be made public;
and, if not, why not?
(5) What is the
government's policy on future use of the large air tanker, and what
cost-sharing arrangements are in place for this use?
SERVICES — LARGE AIR TANKER
259. Hon RICK MAZZA to the minister representing the
Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the response to my
question without notice 145, asked on 10 March 2020, regarding the Boeing 737
large air tanker that was sent to Western Australia from New South Wales in
December 2019 to bolster the state's fire response capabilities.
(1) When does the
minister anticipate that the cost of the large air tanker deployment will be
known?
(2) Will the minister make this
information available to the public?
(3) Will the
Department of Fire and Emergency Services be assessing the effectiveness of the
seven drops made in WA?
(4) Will its report be made public;
and, if not, why not?
(5) What is the
government's policy on future use of the large air tanker, and what
cost-sharing arrangements are in place for this use?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by
the Minister for Emergency Services.
(1) The resource
was subject to a bilateral arrangement between New South Wales and Western Australia.
Costs are yet to be finalised.
(2) No.
(3) Yes. The
Department of Fire and Emergency Services will undertake an evaluation of the
New South Wales LAT effectiveness. This will be included in the annual review
that is conducted of DFES aerial operations at the conclusion of each bushfire
season.
(4) Not applicable.
(5) The National
Aerial Firefighting Centre manages the national strategy and allocation of
aerial firefighting assets, which includes
large air tankers to all states and territories. The NAFC also manages the
cost-sharing arrangements with all states and territories.
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by
the Minister for Emergency Services.
(1) The resource
was subject to a bilateral arrangement between New South Wales and Western Australia.
Costs are yet to be finalised.
(2) No.
(3) Yes. The
Department of Fire and Emergency Services will undertake an evaluation of the
New South Wales LAT effectiveness. This will be included in the annual review
that is conducted of DFES aerial operations at the conclusion of each bushfire
season.
(4) Not applicable.
(5) The National
Aerial Firefighting Centre manages the national strategy and allocation of
aerial firefighting assets, which includes
large air tankers to all states and territories. The NAFC also manages the
cost-sharing arrangements with all states and territories.
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