❓ Ms. Mettam asks how the 'Are You Bushfire Ready?' campaign and related initiatives will better protect WA communities. The Minister details campaign elements, acknowledges volunteers, and highlights the Emergency WA website for real-time information.
AnsweredQoN 906Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
''ARE
YOU BUSHFIRE READY?'' AWARENESS CAMPAIGN LAUNCH
906. Ms L. METTAM to the
Minister for Emergency Services:
I note the recent launch of this year's ''Are You Bushfire Ready?''
awareness campaign, including the launch of the Emergency WA website and the
positioning of two water bombers in Esperance. Can the minister please advise
the house how these initiatives will better protect Western Australian
communities?
YOU BUSHFIRE READY?'' AWARENESS CAMPAIGN LAUNCH
906. Ms L. METTAM to the
Minister for Emergency Services:
I note the recent launch of this year's ''Are You Bushfire Ready?''
awareness campaign, including the launch of the Emergency WA website and the
positioning of two water bombers in Esperance. Can the minister please advise
the house how these initiatives will better protect Western Australian
communities?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Vasse for her continued support, as we
all do in this place, for volunteer firefighters and emergency services
personnel who, as I speak right now, are attending some 40 fire-related
incidents across Western Australia. It has been quite literally straight into
the frying pan for many of our firefighters over the last couple of days.
Firstly, I point out that a couple weeks ago we launched the ''Are You Bushfire Ready?''
campaign for this season. It is important that, no matter whether we are at the
start, the midpoint or the end of the bushfire season in the southern half of
the state, Western Australia is always under some kind of bushfire season,
whether in the north or the south. As we approach the bushfire season in the
southern half of the state it is never too late for people to take action
around their properties with their neighbours to try to give firefighters every
opportunity, in case the worst happens, to save their lives and those of their
families, their homes and their assets.
I also acknowledge Mr
Steve Angel. Mr Steve Angel lost his house in 2007, and rebuilt it. He nearly
lost his son in 2007. He was exceptionally lucky in a horrific situation in
which to find a loved family member. This year he has volunteered to be the
public face of our ''Are You Bushfire Ready?'' campaign and tell
his story. He has done it a number of times, and he will continue to do it. It
is a wonderful act of self-sacrifice to go out there and front the media, which
is not always easy for members of the public, to tell a very compelling story
about why people should take those measures to make their property as bushfire
ready as possible. I want to acknowledge the act of generosity of Mr Steve
Angel.
We are doing a lot to
try to get ready. I said from the outset that we will do what we can before the
bushfire season starts to make as many practical differences as possible. I
will not go into the detail, but part of that is the automatic vehicle location
rollout that we are trying to get done before the end of the year. This week is
also obviously the anniversary of the Esperance fires, which tragically claimed
four lives, including a local farmer, Kym ''Freddy'' Curnow, as
the member for Eyre is aware. Obviously, during a harvest season, with a large
dry wheat crop, it was exceptionally combustible in catastrophic fire
conditions. That is why we have had, for a number of weeks now, two fast-attack
water bombers pre-deployed in Esperance during the harvest season, just in case
something happens again, so we can try to get on top of it as quickly as
possible. We have also pre-formed incident management teams that we can fly
around the state, which was one of the key recommendations to come out of Mr
Ferguson's report.
We are trying to get on and do as many things as we can right
now that will make a practical difference. Most importantly, as question time
started I got a text message from one of my neighbours that there was a fire
about a kilometre away from our house. To find out what is happening with the
fire, the easiest thing is to go straight to the new emergency.wa.gov.au
website. Anyone can look at it right now, and it will give the latest, greatest
information in real time. I have always pointed out that when we start
releasing information quickly, it may be at the risk of accuracy.
When we start to try to make it accurate, it will be at the
risk of timeliness. It is very difficult to get that compromise right. The
emergency.wa.gov.au website will get information out there as quickly as
possible. Effectively it will geotag anyone, anywhere in the state; it will
have a person's GPS location and that will allow people to see what
incidents, fires or emergencies are occurring around them—whether it is
prescribed burning or a real incident, what level the incident is, whether it
is a watch and act or a bushfire advice. It will allow people to have that
information as quickly and as timely as possible. I encourage all members to
spread the word. When they are asked and need to tell people what is happening,
the best information I, as minister, and the commissioner can give them will be
reflected as quickly as possible on the emergency.wa.gov.au website.
There is a raft of problems in this space.
all do in this place, for volunteer firefighters and emergency services
personnel who, as I speak right now, are attending some 40 fire-related
incidents across Western Australia. It has been quite literally straight into
the frying pan for many of our firefighters over the last couple of days.
Firstly, I point out that a couple weeks ago we launched the ''Are You Bushfire Ready?''
campaign for this season. It is important that, no matter whether we are at the
start, the midpoint or the end of the bushfire season in the southern half of
the state, Western Australia is always under some kind of bushfire season,
whether in the north or the south. As we approach the bushfire season in the
southern half of the state it is never too late for people to take action
around their properties with their neighbours to try to give firefighters every
opportunity, in case the worst happens, to save their lives and those of their
families, their homes and their assets.
I also acknowledge Mr
Steve Angel. Mr Steve Angel lost his house in 2007, and rebuilt it. He nearly
lost his son in 2007. He was exceptionally lucky in a horrific situation in
which to find a loved family member. This year he has volunteered to be the
public face of our ''Are You Bushfire Ready?'' campaign and tell
his story. He has done it a number of times, and he will continue to do it. It
is a wonderful act of self-sacrifice to go out there and front the media, which
is not always easy for members of the public, to tell a very compelling story
about why people should take those measures to make their property as bushfire
ready as possible. I want to acknowledge the act of generosity of Mr Steve
Angel.
We are doing a lot to
try to get ready. I said from the outset that we will do what we can before the
bushfire season starts to make as many practical differences as possible. I
will not go into the detail, but part of that is the automatic vehicle location
rollout that we are trying to get done before the end of the year. This week is
also obviously the anniversary of the Esperance fires, which tragically claimed
four lives, including a local farmer, Kym ''Freddy'' Curnow, as
the member for Eyre is aware. Obviously, during a harvest season, with a large
dry wheat crop, it was exceptionally combustible in catastrophic fire
conditions. That is why we have had, for a number of weeks now, two fast-attack
water bombers pre-deployed in Esperance during the harvest season, just in case
something happens again, so we can try to get on top of it as quickly as
possible. We have also pre-formed incident management teams that we can fly
around the state, which was one of the key recommendations to come out of Mr
Ferguson's report.
We are trying to get on and do as many things as we can right
now that will make a practical difference. Most importantly, as question time
started I got a text message from one of my neighbours that there was a fire
about a kilometre away from our house. To find out what is happening with the
fire, the easiest thing is to go straight to the new emergency.wa.gov.au
website. Anyone can look at it right now, and it will give the latest, greatest
information in real time. I have always pointed out that when we start
releasing information quickly, it may be at the risk of accuracy.
When we start to try to make it accurate, it will be at the
risk of timeliness. It is very difficult to get that compromise right. The
emergency.wa.gov.au website will get information out there as quickly as
possible. Effectively it will geotag anyone, anywhere in the state; it will
have a person's GPS location and that will allow people to see what
incidents, fires or emergencies are occurring around them—whether it is
prescribed burning or a real incident, what level the incident is, whether it
is a watch and act or a bushfire advice. It will allow people to have that
information as quickly and as timely as possible. I encourage all members to
spread the word. When they are asked and need to tell people what is happening,
the best information I, as minister, and the commissioner can give them will be
reflected as quickly as possible on the emergency.wa.gov.au website.
There is a raft of problems in this space.
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