Page 312 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 12 May 1992
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(3) The relocation from Tuggeranong to Forrest
resulted in savings by eliminating the need for
contracted staff in the bush fire season and the
Fire and Emergency Services budget was reduced
accordingly.
The Rural Fire Service radio communications system was also improved at the time by utilising the resources of the Urban Fire Service to provide fail-safe systems that were hot available at Tuggeranong.
(4) The ACT Government has been advised by the
Commonwealth Department of Transport and
Communications that the radio frequency bands
allocated to a number of Departments have to be
changed by 1994. This includes the Rural
Firefighting Service and it means that their
radio communications system will have to be
changed in the near future regardless of any
proposed move.
Because of the interaction between ACT Government radio systems and the effect on the frequency changes, a consultant has been engaged to provide expert advice on all ACT Government radio communication systems.
The consultancy is to advise the Government on the requirements of the various agencies and the broad direction for the future at a cost of $5,000.
The consultant is Mr R Head who has previously provided advice to the ACT Government. Mr Head has particular expertise in the radio requirements of both Rural and Urban Fire Services.
(5) The Government has not made any decision on
either the proposed relocation of the Control
Room or the proposed amalgamation of the Fire and
Emergency Services.
(6) The Government expects the review to be completed
within the next 6 weeks.
(7) The previous and present Chairperson of the Bush
Fire Council were members of the Steering
committee that managed the Hannan Group
consultancy. With the resignation of the
Chairperson (Mr V M Jeffery) and the absence of
the deputy Chairperson (Mrs C Parsons) overseas
at the time, the only way for a meeting of the
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