❓ Question regarding the emergency response to Cyclone Olwyn on Barrow Island, specifically concerning worker safety and the adequacy of cyclone preparedness measures. The response clarifies the roles and responsibilities of various agencies and indicates a review is not yet determined.
AnsweredQoN 221Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
STATE
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE — CYCLONE PROCEDURES
221. Hon KATE DOUST to the
Attorney General representing the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the
dangerous situation in which more than 1 000 workers were stranded and exposed
to the category 3 cyclone Olwyn on Barrow Island without category 3
accommodation, and in which timely evacuation was not undertaken.
(1) Have the operators at Barrow Island
sought advice, guidance or assistance from the State Emergency Management
Committee on cyclone emergency procedures, mitigation or preparedness measures;
and, if so, when?
(2) Has the local emergency management
committee developed cyclone emergency procedures with the operators at Barrow
Island; and, if so, what oversight of that plan does the Department of Fire and
Emergency Services or the SEMC have?
(3) Will the Minister for Emergency Services
ensure that the incident review of cyclone Olwyn will include an analysis of
the adequacy of arrangements on Barrow Island?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) If yes to (3), will the minister make said review public?
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE — CYCLONE PROCEDURES
221. Hon KATE DOUST to the
Attorney General representing the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the
dangerous situation in which more than 1 000 workers were stranded and exposed
to the category 3 cyclone Olwyn on Barrow Island without category 3
accommodation, and in which timely evacuation was not undertaken.
(1) Have the operators at Barrow Island
sought advice, guidance or assistance from the State Emergency Management
Committee on cyclone emergency procedures, mitigation or preparedness measures;
and, if so, when?
(2) Has the local emergency management
committee developed cyclone emergency procedures with the operators at Barrow
Island; and, if so, what oversight of that plan does the Department of Fire and
Emergency Services or the SEMC have?
(3) Will the Minister for Emergency Services
ensure that the incident review of cyclone Olwyn will include an analysis of
the adequacy of arrangements on Barrow Island?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) If yes to (3), will the minister make said review public?
AnswerView source ↗
On behalf of the Minister for Emergency Services, I thank the
honourable member for some notice of this question.
(1) No. The
State Emergency Management Committee does not provide advice, guidance or
assistance on operational matters relating to cyclone emergency procedures,
mitigation or preparedness measures.
(2) No. The
State Emergency Management Committee develops policies and procedures to guide
local governments in the preparation of local emergency management arrangements
but does not have oversight of individual plans developed by local emergency
management committees; nor does the Emergency Management Act 2005 require the
State Emergency Management Committee to endorse or approve individual plans.
WorkSafe Western Australia and the Department of Mines and Petroleum have
regulatory powers over the Barrow Island mine site, whereas the Department of
Fire and Emergency Services does not. The local emergency management committee
for the Shire of Ashburton has advised that it has not developed cyclone
emergency procedures with the operators at Barrow Island. However, the
Department of Fire and Emergency Services has liaised with Chevron Australia in
relation to emergency management planning at Barrow Island on an ongoing basis
since 2010. This has included an initial site visit in December 2010 where
cyclone arrangements were discussed and at least one subsequent site visit.
Chevron Australia is a member of the Pilbara District Emergency Management
Committee.
(3) At
present, it has not been determined whether an incident review of tropical
cyclone Olwyn will be undertaken by the Department of Fire and Emergency
Services.
(4)–(5) Not applicable.
honourable member for some notice of this question.
(1) No. The
State Emergency Management Committee does not provide advice, guidance or
assistance on operational matters relating to cyclone emergency procedures,
mitigation or preparedness measures.
(2) No. The
State Emergency Management Committee develops policies and procedures to guide
local governments in the preparation of local emergency management arrangements
but does not have oversight of individual plans developed by local emergency
management committees; nor does the Emergency Management Act 2005 require the
State Emergency Management Committee to endorse or approve individual plans.
WorkSafe Western Australia and the Department of Mines and Petroleum have
regulatory powers over the Barrow Island mine site, whereas the Department of
Fire and Emergency Services does not. The local emergency management committee
for the Shire of Ashburton has advised that it has not developed cyclone
emergency procedures with the operators at Barrow Island. However, the
Department of Fire and Emergency Services has liaised with Chevron Australia in
relation to emergency management planning at Barrow Island on an ongoing basis
since 2010. This has included an initial site visit in December 2010 where
cyclone arrangements were discussed and at least one subsequent site visit.
Chevron Australia is a member of the Pilbara District Emergency Management
Committee.
(3) At
present, it has not been determined whether an incident review of tropical
cyclone Olwyn will be undertaken by the Department of Fire and Emergency
Services.
(4)–(5) Not applicable.
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