❓ A parliamentary question regarding the minister's comfort level with the potential destruction of a wilderness area by wildfire. The minister focuses on the risk to people and private property, acknowledging the limitations of controlling nature.
AnsweredQoN 1266Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
As a supplementary question, I ask the minister whether she is comfortable with the prospect that a single wildfire could destroy the entire 8 000 hectares of wilderness area? Dr J.M. EDWARDS
AnswerView source ↗
Mr Speaker, it is really not an issue of comfort; of course no minister ever wants that to happen. However, when I think of wildfire I think, first, of the risk to people. In every wilderness area we will have plans to ensure that we know roughly where people are located and, if need be, how to get them out in a hurry. The next issue is private property. I have already gone through the Government’s thoughts on ensuring private properties - particularly people’s homes, their castles - are protected. Beyond that, despite our best efforts, none of us can ever control nature or lightning strikes. The member will recall that in the summer just gone Western Australia had the worst fire outbreaks for 40 years.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: Mr Speaker, it is really not an issue of comfort; of course no minister ever wants that to happen. However, when I think of wildfire I think, first, of the risk to people. In every wilderness area we will have plans to ensure that we know roughly where people are located and, if need be, how to get them out in a hurry. The next issue is private property. I have already gone through the Government’s thoughts on ensuring private properties - particularly people’s homes, their castles - are protected. Beyond that, despite our best efforts, none of us can ever control nature or lightning strikes. The member will recall that in the summer just gone Western Australia had the worst fire outbreaks for 40 years.
Mr Speaker, it is really not an issue of comfort; of course no minister ever wants that to happen. However, when I think of wildfire I think, first, of the risk to people. In every wilderness area we will have plans to ensure that we know roughly where people are located and, if need be, how to get them out in a hurry. The next issue is private property. I have already gone through the Government’s thoughts on ensuring private properties - particularly people’s homes, their castles - are protected. Beyond that, despite our best efforts, none of us can ever control nature or lightning strikes. The member will recall that in the summer just gone Western Australia had the worst fire outbreaks for 40 years.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: Mr Speaker, it is really not an issue of comfort; of course no minister ever wants that to happen. However, when I think of wildfire I think, first, of the risk to people. In every wilderness area we will have plans to ensure that we know roughly where people are located and, if need be, how to get them out in a hurry. The next issue is private property. I have already gone through the Government’s thoughts on ensuring private properties - particularly people’s homes, their castles - are protected. Beyond that, despite our best efforts, none of us can ever control nature or lightning strikes. The member will recall that in the summer just gone Western Australia had the worst fire outbreaks for 40 years.
Mr Speaker, it is really not an issue of comfort; of course no minister ever wants that to happen. However, when I think of wildfire I think, first, of the risk to people. In every wilderness area we will have plans to ensure that we know roughly where people are located and, if need be, how to get them out in a hurry. The next issue is private property. I have already gone through the Government’s thoughts on ensuring private properties - particularly people’s homes, their castles - are protected. Beyond that, despite our best efforts, none of us can ever control nature or lightning strikes. The member will recall that in the summer just gone Western Australia had the worst fire outbreaks for 40 years.
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