Page 1958 - Week 06 - Thursday, 9 June 2022
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Mr Milligan asked me a question yesterday regarding the increase of frontline staff, as opposed to the administrative and executive roles in ESA. I am not sure where Mr Milligan is getting his numbers from, but I can provide the following facts. In relation to ambulance officers, the annual report figures show an increase of ambulance officers from 214 in 2018-2019 to 244 in 2019-2020 and 262 in 2020-21. This includes the recruitment of 97 paramedics in the last four years; 15 in 2018-19; 30 in 2019-20; 25 in 2020-21, including five for PACER; and 27 in 2021-22, to date.
In relation to firefighters, the government has committed to recruit 180 firefighters over the next few years—99 additional and 81 to cover attrition. At the commencement of the ACT Fire and Rescue Enterprise Agreement in 2020, ACT Fire and Rescue was funded for 339 firefighters. Currently, ACT Fire and Rescue has 394 funded firefighters.
The commitment of an additional 99 firefighters will see a 29 per cent increase in funded firefighters from 339 to 438. The minimum requirements in the current enterprise agreement would have seen 80 recruits graduate by December 2022. Since the beginning of the agreement, ACT Fire and Rescue is currently positioned to have 87 recruits graduate—10 per cent ahead.
I also reject the premise of Mr Milligan’s question that frontline staff are more important than those who support them. It is only natural that when you provide funding to increase the number of frontline staff, vehicles and equipment, you also need to increase the number in the enabling roles that recruit, procure, service vehicles and provide mental health and wellbeing support as well.
These are only some examples of the enabling services our frontline members receive and deserve for the service they are providing to keep our community safe—the back-of-house supports keeping people on the front line.
Mulligans Flat—Woodland Learning Centre
MS VASSAROTTI: Just to let everyone know that the other quoll’s name is Sid.
MADAM SPEAKER: So we have Boof and Sid! Thank you.
Papers
Mr Gentleman presented the following papers:
Annual Reports (Government Agencies) Act, pursuant to subsection 8(5)—Annual Reports (Government Agencies) Directions 2022—Notifiable Instrument NI2022-308, dated 3 June 2022.
Health, Ageing and Community Services—Standing Committee—Ninth Assembly—Report 9—Interim Report on Child and Youth Protection Services (Part 1)—Government Response to recommendation 10.
Human Rights Act, pursuant to subsection 33(2)—Corrections Management Act—Declaration of incompatibility, dated 21 April 2022.
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