❓ Question regarding the McGowan Labor government's introduction of on-the-spot fines for breaching total fire bans, with the Minister explaining the rationale and implications for community safety.
AnsweredQoN 747Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
EMERGENCY SERVICES —
TOTAL FIRE BANS — BREACH PENALTIES
747. MR S.J. PRICE to the Minister for Emergency Services:
I am glad we could sneak this one
in.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's decision to introduce on-the-spot fines for breaching
total fire bans. Can the minister advised the house why this tough new penalty
was needed and outline what these hardline measures will mean for community
safety?
The SPEAKER : Minister, and a good
short answer.
TOTAL FIRE BANS — BREACH PENALTIES
747. MR S.J. PRICE to the Minister for Emergency Services:
I am glad we could sneak this one
in.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's decision to introduce on-the-spot fines for breaching
total fire bans. Can the minister advised the house why this tough new penalty
was needed and outline what these hardline measures will mean for community
safety?
The SPEAKER : Minister, and a good
short answer.
AnswerView source ↗
Yes, I will keep this fairly short.
I thank the member for the question and, of course, his commitment to bush firefighting
and to volunteers in his electorate.
As the member indicated, the McGowan
Labor government has very recently introduced total fire ban penalties for
those people who continue to ignore total fire bans after they have been
issued. The penalty will now be a $1 000 on-the-spot fine for those people who
breach total fire bans on the days on which they are announced. Those penalties
can be issued by both police and local government rangers as on-the-spot fines.
The
Department of Fire and Emergency Services and the Department of Biodiversity,
Conservation and Attractions still have the power to issue penalties,
but that will be by way of writing to those people who have breached the total
fire bans. Of course, we have done this because last bushfire season 76 fires
started on total fire ban days as a result of people ignoring the ban and
undertaking activities such as burn-offs, campfires and using machinery that
creates a spark such as angle grinding or welding. All of us in this house are
well aware of devastating bushfires that have occurred as a result of people
who have undertaken that activity in breach of a total fire ban.
The new on-the-spot penalties do not
detract from the other penalties that continue to be in force; that is, the
agencies I have just referred to—DFES, the DBCA and the WA police—can
also take further action to prosecute repeat offenders or more serious offences
with a fine of up to $25 000 and/or imprisonment of 12 months.
I urge all members to encourage their constituents to be well
aware of the total fire ban penalties that are now in place. If their
constituents are unaware of what they can and cannot do once a total fire ban
has been issued, members should urge them to contact www.emergency.wa.gov.au,
which is the DFES emergency website. This is all about ensuring that we keep
our community safe and that everyone plays a role in doing so.
I thank the member for the question and, of course, his commitment to bush firefighting
and to volunteers in his electorate.
As the member indicated, the McGowan
Labor government has very recently introduced total fire ban penalties for
those people who continue to ignore total fire bans after they have been
issued. The penalty will now be a $1 000 on-the-spot fine for those people who
breach total fire bans on the days on which they are announced. Those penalties
can be issued by both police and local government rangers as on-the-spot fines.
The
Department of Fire and Emergency Services and the Department of Biodiversity,
Conservation and Attractions still have the power to issue penalties,
but that will be by way of writing to those people who have breached the total
fire bans. Of course, we have done this because last bushfire season 76 fires
started on total fire ban days as a result of people ignoring the ban and
undertaking activities such as burn-offs, campfires and using machinery that
creates a spark such as angle grinding or welding. All of us in this house are
well aware of devastating bushfires that have occurred as a result of people
who have undertaken that activity in breach of a total fire ban.
The new on-the-spot penalties do not
detract from the other penalties that continue to be in force; that is, the
agencies I have just referred to—DFES, the DBCA and the WA police—can
also take further action to prosecute repeat offenders or more serious offences
with a fine of up to $25 000 and/or imprisonment of 12 months.
I urge all members to encourage their constituents to be well
aware of the total fire ban penalties that are now in place. If their
constituents are unaware of what they can and cannot do once a total fire ban
has been issued, members should urge them to contact www.emergency.wa.gov.au,
which is the DFES emergency website. This is all about ensuring that we keep
our community safe and that everyone plays a role in doing so.
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