A WA parliamentary question seeks information on two State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC) studies related to bushfire management funding and fuel reduction cost-benefit analysis. The Minister confirms the studies' completion and consideration for public release pending review of the Ferguson report.

AnsweredQoN 862Legislative Council
Asked
7 September 2016
Portfolio
Emergency Services

QuestionView source ↗

STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE —
BUSHFIRE MANAGEMENT
862. Hon RICK MAZZA to the Attorney General
representing the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the record growing season
and the bushfire season just a couple of months away.
(1) Is the
minister aware that the State Emergency Management Committee commissioned two
studies: the first being a stocktake of funding arrangements for bushfire
management in WA, and the second looking at the cost benefit of fuel reduction
versus emergency response in the south west of Western Australia?
(2) Have these studies been completed?
(3) Have the reports been tabled at
a meeting of the State Emergency Management Committee?
(4) Will the reports be released to
the public?
(5) If yes to (4), when will they be
released?
(6) If no to (4),
can the minister advise why they will not be released given their importance to
the minimisation of bushfire damage in WA?

AnswerView source ↗

On behalf of the Minister for
Emergency Services, I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question.
(1) Yes. Last
year the minister requested the SEMC secretariat to undertake a strategic
bushfire stocktake of bushfire risk management investment and arrangements
across government. The SEMC secretariat, as part of that study, commissioned
the University of Western Australia to undertake an economic analysis of
various mitigation options.
(2) Yes.
(3) Yes, the SEMC noted the reports
at its 2 August 2016 meeting.
(4) Yes. The
minister is currently considering the SEMC recommendations concerning the
report's public release.
(5) As the government
is currently considering the report of the special inquiry into the January
2016 Waroona fire—the Ferguson report—further consideration
will be given to releasing the stocktake once the government has provided its
response to the Ferguson report.
(6) Not applicable.

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