❓ The Minister for Emergency Services updates the house on the Bushfire Centre of Excellence location in Pinjarra, highlighting the government's achievements in fire and emergency services compared to the previous government. The response defends the location choice against criticism.
AnsweredQoN 116Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BUSHFIRE CENTRE OF
EXCELLENCE — LOCATION
116. Mrs R.M.J. CLARKE to the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the McGowan government's
recent announcement on the location of the Bushfire Centre of Excellence. Can
the minister update the house on the McGowan government's historic
emergency services reform and what this will mean for communities across the state,
including those in Murray–Wellington?
EXCELLENCE — LOCATION
116. Mrs R.M.J. CLARKE to the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the McGowan government's
recent announcement on the location of the Bushfire Centre of Excellence. Can
the minister update the house on the McGowan government's historic
emergency services reform and what this will mean for communities across the state,
including those in Murray–Wellington?
AnswerView source ↗
Thank
you very much, member for Murray–Wellington. Can I congratulate her and
the Shire of Murray–Wellington for their efforts to have the
Bushfire Centre of Excellence located in Pinjarra. They have done a great job—a
very, very good job.
If we compare the achievements of
the McGowan Labor government in the area of fire and emergency services over
the past two years with the struggles the opposition—both Liberal and
National Parties—had when dealing with these issues, it is black and
white. Let us look at what has happened over the last two years. The government
has dealt with the recommendations out of the Parkerville and the Black Cat
Creek fires, which were left to us to complete. We have dealt with the
recommendations from the Ferguson report, which the former government basically
struggled with and did not know what to do. This government created the Rural Fire
Division, which was strongly supported across the whole of Western Australia.
The former government really struggled with that; it had no policy and did not
know where it was going in that area at all. This government has poured $80 million
into keeping people in regional Western Australia safe. We have put $80 million
into the Rural Fire Division and $35 million into bushfire mitigation. We have
put $15 million into extending the bushfire risk management planning program,
something that the former government did not fund.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : The $35 million
for mitigation on crown land, as the member for Warren–Blackwood knows,
is strongly supported by his shire, the Shire of Denmark. He was there when
that announcement was made and the shire was over the moon about it. Our
government has dealt with all the issues that the former government left it—resolved
them. One big policy initiative that we have taken forward as a new policy
initiative is, of course, the Bushfire Centre of Excellence. It will increase
the level of skill in the area of bushfire management and planning for both
volunteer and career firefighters, and people from the private sector, from
parks and wildlife, and from a whole range of backgrounds—anyone who is
involved in bushfire management and bushfire planning—will get access
to the Bushfire Centre of Excellence once it is built in Pinjarra. It is a great
outcome.
I compare it to the criticism—we
actually got criticism, believe it or not—over our announcement. That
criticism, of course, came from the person who has just been interjecting on
me, the member for Murray–Wellington —
Several members interjected.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I am sorry. I apologise.
I take that back, member for Murray–Wellington.
Mr D.T. Redman : Another
bungle.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : No. The member
for Warren–Blackwood said quite clearly—I would like to hear
what the member for Murray–Wellington and the member for Mandurah would
say about this—that where it is being located in Pinjarra is not rural
enough. He said it is not in a rural area.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Peel,
apparently, is not rural enough. It was rural enough when he was in government.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : The member for
Warren–Blackwood and his team of pirates over there put a very dismal—member
for Mandurah—$8.7 million into 27 projects in the area of Peel. Of
course, that was a drop in the ocean compared to his pork-barrelling in the
Pilbara. Why did the former government and particularly the National Party put
that money into the area of Peel? It was because they saw it as being regional.
If it was good enough for them when they were in government, it is certainly
good enough for us. The Bushfire Centre of Excellence has been located in the
right place because that area fulfilled the whole criteria that was requested
of it during the freedom of information process. It is a great outcome, which
the former government could not do over eight years.
you very much, member for Murray–Wellington. Can I congratulate her and
the Shire of Murray–Wellington for their efforts to have the
Bushfire Centre of Excellence located in Pinjarra. They have done a great job—a
very, very good job.
If we compare the achievements of
the McGowan Labor government in the area of fire and emergency services over
the past two years with the struggles the opposition—both Liberal and
National Parties—had when dealing with these issues, it is black and
white. Let us look at what has happened over the last two years. The government
has dealt with the recommendations out of the Parkerville and the Black Cat
Creek fires, which were left to us to complete. We have dealt with the
recommendations from the Ferguson report, which the former government basically
struggled with and did not know what to do. This government created the Rural Fire
Division, which was strongly supported across the whole of Western Australia.
The former government really struggled with that; it had no policy and did not
know where it was going in that area at all. This government has poured $80 million
into keeping people in regional Western Australia safe. We have put $80 million
into the Rural Fire Division and $35 million into bushfire mitigation. We have
put $15 million into extending the bushfire risk management planning program,
something that the former government did not fund.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : The $35 million
for mitigation on crown land, as the member for Warren–Blackwood knows,
is strongly supported by his shire, the Shire of Denmark. He was there when
that announcement was made and the shire was over the moon about it. Our
government has dealt with all the issues that the former government left it—resolved
them. One big policy initiative that we have taken forward as a new policy
initiative is, of course, the Bushfire Centre of Excellence. It will increase
the level of skill in the area of bushfire management and planning for both
volunteer and career firefighters, and people from the private sector, from
parks and wildlife, and from a whole range of backgrounds—anyone who is
involved in bushfire management and bushfire planning—will get access
to the Bushfire Centre of Excellence once it is built in Pinjarra. It is a great
outcome.
I compare it to the criticism—we
actually got criticism, believe it or not—over our announcement. That
criticism, of course, came from the person who has just been interjecting on
me, the member for Murray–Wellington —
Several members interjected.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I am sorry. I apologise.
I take that back, member for Murray–Wellington.
Mr D.T. Redman : Another
bungle.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : No. The member
for Warren–Blackwood said quite clearly—I would like to hear
what the member for Murray–Wellington and the member for Mandurah would
say about this—that where it is being located in Pinjarra is not rural
enough. He said it is not in a rural area.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Peel,
apparently, is not rural enough. It was rural enough when he was in government.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : The member for
Warren–Blackwood and his team of pirates over there put a very dismal—member
for Mandurah—$8.7 million into 27 projects in the area of Peel. Of
course, that was a drop in the ocean compared to his pork-barrelling in the
Pilbara. Why did the former government and particularly the National Party put
that money into the area of Peel? It was because they saw it as being regional.
If it was good enough for them when they were in government, it is certainly
good enough for us. The Bushfire Centre of Excellence has been located in the
right place because that area fulfilled the whole criteria that was requested
of it during the freedom of information process. It is a great outcome, which
the former government could not do over eight years.
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