❓ The Minister for Emergency Services outlines actions taken to improve volunteer firefighter capacity and regional community safety, including new appliances, bush fire brigade headquarters, and community emergency services manager positions.
AnsweredQoN 562Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Emergency incidents—Regional communities
562. Ms Jodie Hanns to
the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to protecting people in our regional communities
and ensuring their safety.
(1) Can the minister update the house on the actions
this government is taking to improve the capacity of our volunteer
firefighters?
(2) Can the minister advise the house what other
measures this government is implementing to ensure the safety of our regional
communities during emergency incidents?
562. Ms Jodie Hanns to
the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to protecting people in our regional communities
and ensuring their safety.
(1) Can the minister update the house on the actions
this government is taking to improve the capacity of our volunteer
firefighters?
(2) Can the minister advise the house what other
measures this government is implementing to ensure the safety of our regional
communities during emergency incidents?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for her question. I join the member and everyone here to
extend, on behalf of the Parliament and in advance of the approaching high-threat
period, our thanks and best wishes to all volunteers around the state and
particularly in the regions who render such fine service in protecting their
communities in the event of emergencies.
The member will be happy to know
that a lot is being done to assist particularly our firefighters. Right now, in
advance of that high-threat period, some $4 million worth of new appliances—trucks,
utes and tankers—are being delivered to firefighting units right across
the regions. I think Dardanup West is one of the member's units, so she will be
happy to know that it is getting a new appliance. Many other members represent
firefighting units that will be receiving firefighting appliances as a result
of that upgrade and rollout. The member for Collie–Preston has been
particularly robust in her advocacy, because $1.6 million is being attributed
to a new bush fire brigade headquarters in Argyle Irishtown. They will be
getting that. The member's advocacy has been very effective. Their facilities
will be upgraded as well.
In helping all our regional
firefighters, one of the greatest assets we have as a state are our community
emergency services managers. Everyone in the regions will be familiar with
those wonderful individuals. We have some 35 across the state supporting 57
local governments. They help all local governments to boost their resilience
and preparedness as well as confront individual emergencies and coordinate
responses to those emergencies.
We can say that a new community
emergency services manager coordinator position has been created to help
coordinate right across the state. One is in the Shire of Dardanup; it is not
all about the member for Collie–Preston, but she is a very robust
advocate for her electorate. The member for Geraldton will be happy to know the
other one is up in Northampton and Chapman Valley to support his councils. Next
year, another four CESM positions will be rolled out.
Finally, at the risk of
triggering a potentially raucous response from the member for Central Wheatbelt
and a flurry of self-focused, self-indulgent media releases about how robust
his advocacy is, I have to say that regional Western Australia has never been
better supported for emergency management. That is a fact.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Thank you, minister. The member for Carine
with the final question.
thank the member for her question. I join the member and everyone here to
extend, on behalf of the Parliament and in advance of the approaching high-threat
period, our thanks and best wishes to all volunteers around the state and
particularly in the regions who render such fine service in protecting their
communities in the event of emergencies.
The member will be happy to know
that a lot is being done to assist particularly our firefighters. Right now, in
advance of that high-threat period, some $4 million worth of new appliances—trucks,
utes and tankers—are being delivered to firefighting units right across
the regions. I think Dardanup West is one of the member's units, so she will be
happy to know that it is getting a new appliance. Many other members represent
firefighting units that will be receiving firefighting appliances as a result
of that upgrade and rollout. The member for Collie–Preston has been
particularly robust in her advocacy, because $1.6 million is being attributed
to a new bush fire brigade headquarters in Argyle Irishtown. They will be
getting that. The member's advocacy has been very effective. Their facilities
will be upgraded as well.
In helping all our regional
firefighters, one of the greatest assets we have as a state are our community
emergency services managers. Everyone in the regions will be familiar with
those wonderful individuals. We have some 35 across the state supporting 57
local governments. They help all local governments to boost their resilience
and preparedness as well as confront individual emergencies and coordinate
responses to those emergencies.
We can say that a new community
emergency services manager coordinator position has been created to help
coordinate right across the state. One is in the Shire of Dardanup; it is not
all about the member for Collie–Preston, but she is a very robust
advocate for her electorate. The member for Geraldton will be happy to know the
other one is up in Northampton and Chapman Valley to support his councils. Next
year, another four CESM positions will be rolled out.
Finally, at the risk of
triggering a potentially raucous response from the member for Central Wheatbelt
and a flurry of self-focused, self-indulgent media releases about how robust
his advocacy is, I have to say that regional Western Australia has never been
better supported for emergency management. That is a fact.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Thank you, minister. The member for Carine
with the final question.
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