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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 2 Hansard (5 March) . . Page.. 584 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

I do not believe that waiting would be of great benefit. We could start the educational process and, as we get input from McLeod and then from the coroner, it would be more than acceptable to add value to the fabric of what we are doing in the community and our schools.

I think Mr Pratt is quite right: we should oppose the amendment. It is quite interesting that Ms Gallagher says, "Show me the evidence". If there is no evidence that the education was not necessarily effective, why then is the education being carried out now? I think the previous minister said before Christmas that we had adequate programs in place. Surely they were put there because of the evidence that was available. The evidence is even more real and more stark now-you only have to drive around the suburbs to see it. With that in mind, the opposition will oppose the amendment because we think there are things that can be undertaken immediately.

One of the other things that come to mind is that I know my brigade and all the other brigades do things on request. They visit pre-schools, schools and school fetes and give demonstrations of what a fire truck looks like. The relationship that the brigades have built up with several of our local schools has led, over the years, to volunteers, as they get to the age of 18, joining the brigades. Some of the guys used to run-I do not think they do it now-a cadet program. They ran a cadet program at one of the local high schools for kids under the age of 18. They would teach some basic firefighting skills to kids who were interested. This was aimed at kids that teachers said might benefit from a bit of extra curricular activity and the guys in my brigade were certainly very happy to go down to various schools and do that. I think that is important as well.

So I think there are a number of things that can be done immediately. I think we can later on roll into the training anything that might come out of McLeod or the coroner, and so build up a total, systematic, thorough education system about the dangers of our bushfires, both for suburbs and individuals. But I think we should be starting now.

MS TUCKER (6.10): I will be speaking to the motion and the amendment. Firstly, I appreciate what Mr Pratt is attempting to do with this motion, which is one of several on the notice paper dealing with bushfire-related matters. Each of these motions takes a different approach to addressing the issues raised by the bushfires. We all want to do something to help us learn the lessons and deal with the causes, but none of us has the total or perfect solution. Our contributions have to be coordinated and complementary if we are to work together effectively. We want an approach that deals with both the specifics of the recent bushfires as well as the broader planning and environmental issues that these events have raised, even if that means we have to wait a little while rather than determine the course of action right now.

Mr Pratt's motion calls for immediate implementation of, firstly, prevention information and emergency management briefing programs in vulnerable bushland suburbs. Mr Pratt may or may not be aware that there have been similar recommendations on the agenda since 1995 through the various reports that have been produced by the Task Force on Bushfire Fuel Management Practices in the ACT. I will read specific recommendations from the 1995 report that I think are particularly relevant. The third recommendation is:

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