❓ Opposition Leader Mark McGowan questions the Minister for Emergency Services regarding the government's failure to implement recommendations from previous fire inquiries, as highlighted in the Ferguson Report on the Waroona-Yarloop bushfires. The Minister responds by outlining a commitment to implementing recommendations before the next fire season and establishing an overarching body to oversee progress.
AnsweredQoN 425Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WAROONA–YARLOOP
BUSHFIRES — FERGUSON REPORT
425. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Minister for
Emergency Services:
I have a supplementary question. Mr
Ferguson has identified that the government has failed to complete 25 of the
recommendations of the three past fire inquiries, including failing to provide
suitable maps five years after a recommendation to do so was made. Why has the
government failed in 25 separate cases?
BUSHFIRES — FERGUSON REPORT
425. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Minister for
Emergency Services:
I have a supplementary question. Mr
Ferguson has identified that the government has failed to complete 25 of the
recommendations of the three past fire inquiries, including failing to provide
suitable maps five years after a recommendation to do so was made. Why has the
government failed in 25 separate cases?
AnswerView source ↗
Firstly, as far as covering and
checking the recommendations of previous reports, Mr Ferguson also suggested
that there be an overarching body, rather than having different departments do
their own checklists on their own progress. That is something that we will
obviously work on.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : Did you check them off yourself?
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : I am not going to check off other departments'
checklists; I am going to check off my own checklists.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members! Member for Midland, I call you to order for the first
time. Minister, a quick answer.
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : Certainly that is a recommendation we will take on board and
look at resolving. The bottom line is that the people of Western Australia need
to be aware, and I can assure the opposition, that my priority will be to
ensure that we implement whatever recommendations can be implemented before the
next fire season—that we do what physically can be done as soon as
possible that will make an actual practical difference to the ability of people
to fight fires in Western Australia. That is my priority.
checking the recommendations of previous reports, Mr Ferguson also suggested
that there be an overarching body, rather than having different departments do
their own checklists on their own progress. That is something that we will
obviously work on.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : Did you check them off yourself?
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : I am not going to check off other departments'
checklists; I am going to check off my own checklists.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members! Member for Midland, I call you to order for the first
time. Minister, a quick answer.
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : Certainly that is a recommendation we will take on board and
look at resolving. The bottom line is that the people of Western Australia need
to be aware, and I can assure the opposition, that my priority will be to
ensure that we implement whatever recommendations can be implemented before the
next fire season—that we do what physically can be done as soon as
possible that will make an actual practical difference to the ability of people
to fight fires in Western Australia. That is my priority.
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