❓ The Minister for Emergency Services outlines the importance of shared responsibility in bushfire preparedness, highlighting government initiatives and the role of private landowners in reducing fuel loads. The 'Are You Bushfire Ready' campaign aims to encourage proactive measures and community teamwork.
AnsweredQoN 832Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
''ARE YOU BUSH FIRE READY'' CAMPAIGN
832. MR N.W. MORTON to the Minister for
Emergency Services:
Last weekend the minister helped
launch this summer's ''Are You Bush Fire Ready''
campaign. Will the minister please outline to members why this message of
shared responsibility is very important to our community?
832. MR N.W. MORTON to the Minister for
Emergency Services:
Last weekend the minister helped
launch this summer's ''Are You Bush Fire Ready''
campaign. Will the minister please outline to members why this message of
shared responsibility is very important to our community?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Forrestfield
for his question. I should start by saying that for more than 40 000 years
human beings in Australia have tried to control our natural environment, but
not always successfully. Ever since Dorothea Mackellar penned her 1908 poem My Country about floods, fire and
famine, we have realised that no matter what we do, we will never be able to
rid ourselves of the risk of bushfire. Western Australia comprises over 2.5
million square kilometres. Short of bulldozing all of it, there will always be
a risk of fire. Our job is to do everything we can to manage that risk, and
that is why as a government, we have realised this. Members opposite will see
that Western Power, through the Minister for Energy, is doing everything it can
to reduce the risk around energy infrastructure. The Department of Parks and
Wildlife has taken every opportunity in the periods between rain to undertake
hazard reduction burns, and, of course, the Department of Fire and Emergency
Services is doing more again this year than was done last year. Once again,
more than has ever been done in the history of Western Australia is being done
to prepare our response teams, to train and equip our firefighters and to give
them all the protection we can to ensure there are as many helicopters and
aerial firefighting aircraft available for this fire season.
At the end of the day, it is a
shared responsibility. Private landowners need to understand that they have a responsibility
to do what they can to reduce the fuel load and therefore the hazard on their
properties. This last Sunday, the Minister for Environment, the Minister for
Energy and I launched this year's ''Are You Bushfire Ready''
campaign. Unfortunately, Ben Roberts-Smith, VC, was unavailable due to the
Centenary of Anzac commemorations, so Justin Langer, the cricketer, who knows a
thing or two about preparation and teamwork, will spearhead the campaign this
year as the ''Are You Bushfire Ready'' ambassador for Western
Australia.
It is a very simple message. People who own the land own the
responsibility; therefore, they need to do what they can to reduce it. It is
about teamwork. People who live in a peri-urban fringe area with a large bush
environment need to do their bit to reduce that fuel load. They should also
talk to their neighbours and have a plan so that if a bushfire comes towards
them, they do not leave it to the last minute to work out what they will do with
their pets and their children and to protect their house and their belongings
if they choose to stay and fight. We have kicked off this very simple message
again this year because we know from last year's campaign that it was
exceptionally successful. For under $1 million, we know that a lot of people
got the message and started to reduce the fire risk on their property; they did
not leave it until the last minute. We want to encourage every single person
across the state of Western Australia in bushfire areas to once again do their
bit.
for his question. I should start by saying that for more than 40 000 years
human beings in Australia have tried to control our natural environment, but
not always successfully. Ever since Dorothea Mackellar penned her 1908 poem My Country about floods, fire and
famine, we have realised that no matter what we do, we will never be able to
rid ourselves of the risk of bushfire. Western Australia comprises over 2.5
million square kilometres. Short of bulldozing all of it, there will always be
a risk of fire. Our job is to do everything we can to manage that risk, and
that is why as a government, we have realised this. Members opposite will see
that Western Power, through the Minister for Energy, is doing everything it can
to reduce the risk around energy infrastructure. The Department of Parks and
Wildlife has taken every opportunity in the periods between rain to undertake
hazard reduction burns, and, of course, the Department of Fire and Emergency
Services is doing more again this year than was done last year. Once again,
more than has ever been done in the history of Western Australia is being done
to prepare our response teams, to train and equip our firefighters and to give
them all the protection we can to ensure there are as many helicopters and
aerial firefighting aircraft available for this fire season.
At the end of the day, it is a
shared responsibility. Private landowners need to understand that they have a responsibility
to do what they can to reduce the fuel load and therefore the hazard on their
properties. This last Sunday, the Minister for Environment, the Minister for
Energy and I launched this year's ''Are You Bushfire Ready''
campaign. Unfortunately, Ben Roberts-Smith, VC, was unavailable due to the
Centenary of Anzac commemorations, so Justin Langer, the cricketer, who knows a
thing or two about preparation and teamwork, will spearhead the campaign this
year as the ''Are You Bushfire Ready'' ambassador for Western
Australia.
It is a very simple message. People who own the land own the
responsibility; therefore, they need to do what they can to reduce it. It is
about teamwork. People who live in a peri-urban fringe area with a large bush
environment need to do their bit to reduce that fuel load. They should also
talk to their neighbours and have a plan so that if a bushfire comes towards
them, they do not leave it to the last minute to work out what they will do with
their pets and their children and to protect their house and their belongings
if they choose to stay and fight. We have kicked off this very simple message
again this year because we know from last year's campaign that it was
exceptionally successful. For under $1 million, we know that a lot of people
got the message and started to reduce the fire risk on their property; they did
not leave it until the last minute. We want to encourage every single person
across the state of Western Australia in bushfire areas to once again do their
bit.
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