Page 4901 - Week 15 - Thursday, 15 December 2005
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somebody should have thought about this. They said that there was difficulty, time and time again, with getting spares or replacement equipment.
The issue of the elevated work platform came into the conversation with the various officers that we spoke to. They said, “It is not the Bronto.” I notice that Commissioner Dunn has said, “But we have got a Bronto.” You know yourself, Mr Speaker, as a former officer of the brigade, that the Bronto cannot go everywhere and cannot do every job. Sometimes an elevated work platform is the most useful piece of equipment that these guys can have. Mr Corbell had two elevated work platforms to put the star up on the Christmas tree, one for him holding the star and one for the media taking pictures of the minister. They managed to get two elevated work platforms to light the Christmas tree.
But on a day of high risk and high danger, volunteers did not have access to an elevated work platform. That is what they are asking for—the basic equipment to do their job. The arrangement is that, if you need one, you can go and hire one off Kennards or any of the other firms, but they are not open at 11 o’clock at night. To leave a tree hanging, resting against a house or about to fall for any period of time puts more people and property at risk—for the sake of an elevated work platform. The government can arrange two to put a minister into the air with media to catch the very important placing of the star on the Christmas tree, but volunteers cannot have them.
The list goes on and the time is short. Another issue that the volunteers raised is some of the procedures put in place. It is great that we have got policies and procedures, but they have got to be practical. On the Sunday one of the team leaders was a professional tree feller. But there is now a standard operating procedure that says team leaders cannot do the manual work; they are there to supervise. This is the most experienced individual in the brigade and, on the day, he was one of the most experienced individuals with this group but he could not use his chainsaw skills because they have put inappropriate policies in place. I understand that a number of the captains went back out as ordinary members of the teams so that they could use their skills. They told us that they are actually being deskilled because the people with the most experience cannot be used because they have risen in the ranks to positions of authority. So we have got to have some flexibility there.
The list goes on. Out-of-date equipment was mentioned a lot. Apparently we are still using pole and camper stretchers. Most other brigades got rid of those years and years ago. They use very specialised stretchers that slide under people and then wrap around them to give them better protection and provide better access. That is a problem. It takes time to get stores. I saw a request to replenish a first aid kit. It took up to three months to get those supplies. That is a problem. The government should be voting for this motion because the minister does not understand what is going on—
It being 45 minutes after the commencement of Assembly business, the debate was interrupted in accordance with standing order 77. Ordered that the time allotted to Assembly business be extended by 30 minutes.
MR SMYTH: I would like now to talk about governance. Mr Hargreaves misses the whole point when he waves about his copy of the auditor’s report No 7. Mr Hargreaves, just because the auditor has signed off on the accounts does not mean that all is well. All it means is that the accounts were prepared in accordance with the accounting standard
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