Page 4055 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 30 November 2022
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summer. Over the past 12 months, and even recently, we have seen wet weather affecting large areas of eastern Australia, which have experienced flash flooding and minor riverine flooding, intense storm activity and damaging winds as well.
Here in the ACT we have seen periods of intense rainfall activity and damaging winds. As we move into the summer period, it is expected that the ACT and the east coast of Australia will continue to experience these conditions. The Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council, AFAC, in conjunction with the Bureau of Meteorology, released its seasonal bushfire outlook this week. The outlook indicates—
Ms Lee: Point of order, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Resume your seat, Minister.
Ms Lee: In all seriousness, questions are meant to be asked of ministers who have control of portfolios. I did not see weather as part of Minister Gentleman’s portfolio.
MADAM SPEAKER: The question was around fire season preparation.
Mr Barr: On the point of order, Madam Speaker: what we have just witnessed as a pattern of behaviour is obviously not listening to the question, but seriously, that is about as frivolous a point of order as we have seen in question time this year.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Barr. The question was clearly about—
Mr Hanson interjecting—
Mr Barr: I might need to withdraw, Madam Speaker. Mr Hanson has certainly provided something even more frivolous.
Members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: I realise that we are getting to the end of the year, members, but please. Mr Gentleman, you have the floor.
MR GENTLEMAN: Thanks, Madam Speaker. I wanted to talk about the work that the ESA has been doing to prepare for the season. There is not much time left for this answer, but I will try and do that. We have looked at expecting normal fire activity in the season, rather than higher fire activity.
MR PETTERSSON: Minister, how is the ESA preparing for the high-risk weather season?
MR GENTLEMAN: The ESA is undertaking both internal and external preparedness workshops with key stakeholders, including the delivery of an incident management program and an operational exercise program to suitably qualified personnel. The operational exercise program provided two tabletop and discussion exercises for ESA
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