Page 4285 - Week 13 - Thursday, 17 November 2005

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Question so resolved in the negative.

Planning and Environment—Standing Committee

Report 16

Debate resumed from 15 November 2005, on motion by Mr Gentleman:

That the report be noted.

MR PRATT (Brindabella) (11.25): During the tabling of this report on the sustainability and bushfire recovery conference, I noticed that there were issues of importance in it surrounding this government’s management of bushfires and, more importantly, managing the research and analysis into what failed in the past. Section 1.9 states:

… Decisions about bushfire need to be made within a decision-making framework suggested by the COAG National Bushfire Inquiry as the ‘5Rs’—research, information and analysis; risk modification, readiness, response and recovery.

However, the previously issued COAG national inquiry on bushfire mitigation and management continued the trend of governments with their heads in the sand, so I do not necessarily agree with the preceding statement. I want to concentrate here today on how disappointing it was that the bushfire recovery conference, which this report covers, did not address the fact that two of the most important aspects of a post-disaster recovery process, that is, research and analysis, have been woefully inadequate. This inadequacy, I believe, is to be sheeted home to both the COAG national bushfire inquiry and our own Stanhope government.

The COAG bushfire report was simply another useful but ultimately disappointing report and, like the McLeod inquiry, was simply a wasted opportunity.

MR SPEAKER: Order! It being 45 minutes after the commencement of Assembly business, the debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 77.

Motion (by Mr Pratt) put:

That the time allotted to Assembly business be extended by 30 minutes.

The Assembly voted—

Question so resolved in the negative.

It being 45 minutes after the commencement of Assembly business, the debate was interrupted in accordance with standing order 77.

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