Page 1194 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 1993
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Madam Speaker, a lot more has been happening than merely that decision that the Fire Service will have the prime responsibility for road rescue. That decision will mean that some eight police officers who are currently on the roster on stand-by duties waiting for an accident to happen, to go out and perform a road rescue, will be able to be deployed to other policing duties. That is a decision which is a win-win for the community because we are well protected by the Fire Service and we will be better policed by police officers policing rather than being on stand-by for rescue.
But that is not all the Government is doing, Madam Speaker. The Government, when it last year amalgamated the urban and rural fire services into one unit and appointed a civilian director of the fire and emergency services, undertook an ongoing process of reviewing emergency services in this Territory. We have established an emergency management committee comprising police, ambulance, fire and other services in the ACT that get involved in an emergency situation. That includes people like ACTEW who have a role when powerlines are down when there is a major disaster. For the first time, Madam Speaker, we have all the agencies involved in a major emergency, a major disaster, working together, looking to deliver efficiencies to government so that the community's outlay on emergency protection can be minimised, but, most importantly, looking to deliver a better way of protecting the public.
Madam Speaker, I am confident that that process will, over the next few years, deliver further dividends for the community. We have made the decision that we will be co-locating ambulance and fire administrative units and the radio room together at the old North Curtin school, which is, again, a win-win solution for the community. We are utilising a redundant government property; we are ensuring that it is not subject to vandalism; we are having a common radio room which will deliver obvious efficiency. We will continue down that path. I have, Madam Speaker, for any members who are interested, a quite extensive paper outlining our future directions in emergency services which I am happy to table.
Business Promotion
MR WESTENDE: Madam Speaker, my question is directed to the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister often talks about the great opportunities for business in Canberra, and rightly so, but what regular consultation process with business in Canberra does the Government have in place? I am personally not aware of any. If there is one, does the Government take any notice of the results of those consultations in the development and implementation of its policy for promoting business in the ACT? Could the Chief Minister mention just one or two of those consultations off the top of her head?
MS FOLLETT: I thank Mr Westende for the question, Madam Speaker. We certainly are in regular consultation with the business community. The main organisation which I utilise is the Economic Priorities Committee, EPACT, on which businesses, unions and the community sector are all represented. The value of that forum is that it does allow for issues to be debated amongst the different interest groups and for a position to be reached rather than for issues to
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