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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 8 Hansard (19 August) . . Page.. 2783 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

unit are expected to take longer to acquire because of their size or complexity, and these major pieces of equipment represent a further investment of some $1.7 million.

Particular attention is being paid to greatly improved community awareness programs, and to emergency services communications equipment in the lead-up to the coming fire season. In particular, bushfire awareness kits will be provided to all households in the ACT before the start of the bushfire season, and a broad range of other information channels and events will be used to ensure that the people of the ACT have a much greater awareness of bushfire season preparedness, and the steps to take in the event of fire. Funding of over half a million dollars is being sought for this purpose.

The proposed improvements to emergency services communication systems include those to radio reception in rough terrain, the implementation of a computer-aided dispatch system and the proposed major upgrade of radio communications infrastructure.

Operational procedures and policies are also being addressed through a clear and agreed approach by ACT Policing and Emergency Services to the key question of fire safety and evacuation. Incident command and control procedures and the rural fire control manual are also being upgraded. A formal memorandum of understanding between the fire authorities of the ACT and those of New South Wales is being developed, as recommended by Mr McLeod. A subplan of the ACT emergency plan will be developed to assist with the design of special arrangements to cater for the needs of ACT residents who live beyond the city bounds.

The government agrees with Mr McLeod that, for a small jurisdiction such as the ACT, it is vital that all relevant emergency services resources are effectively coordinated and deployed, especially when a major risk arises. Accordingly, the government agrees that a new, independent, and better integrated and coordinated emergency services organisation should be created to provide the opportunity for greater and more effective operational capacity and capability.

The government recognises the important and valuable contributions made by each of the existing services, and the detailed structure of the new authority will be developed in close consultation with all the existing professional and volunteer services. However, there are many other interest groups who can claim a legitimate right to be consulted as the detail of the new authority is settled: to name just some, representatives of the volunteers; the industrial representatives of the permanent workforce, such as the United Firefighters Union; and the Bush Fire Council.

There will be other individuals or organisations that may claim to be able to speak on behalf of some of these groups, and the government is determined to be as inclusive as possible in this complex work. Consultative arrangements will have to be established with all the relevant groups.

Of course, members of this place will have an important role in the establishment of the new authority, in whatever form it takes. Ms Tucker has already raised with me the notion of a round table discussion about possible models and ways forward, and the government is not averse to such suggestions.

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