Page 1995 - Week 06 - Thursday, 8 June 2006
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return to a situation in which the bureaucracy paralyses the ACT’s emergency responses. That was the very thing that the ESA was set up to combat.
It is probably prudent for me to read the relevant extracts from the Auditor-General’s report No 3 of 2003. On pages 143 and 144, under “suggested actions”, paragraphs 8.45 to 8.47, the report states:
Accordingly, it is suggested that the Emergency Services Bureau be replaced by a statutory authority.
If it were agreed that there should be an emergency services authority, it is suggested that the enabling legislation for such an authority include a requirement that it prepare an annual operational plan and that the plan be required to be presented to the Legislative Assembly.
• It is further suggested that, in view of the time that might elapse between the time when a decision to establish an emergency services authority was taken, and the time that enabling a legislation might be passed by the Legislative Assembly, that an interim authority be established as a matter of priority. Such an arrangement would also provide invaluable experience that would be useful in the drafting of appropriate enabling legislation.
This report was signed on 15 May 2003 and it was based on the emergency services structure prior to the January 2003 bushfires. We also, of course, have the McLeod inquiry, and sadly a lot of that just seems to have been thrown out of the window by this government. There are a couple of relevant comments to make on that, and I quote from pages 207 and 237. At page 207 the report states:
The question is: how can a more integrated and coordinated bush and urban fire effort best be achieved institutionally, in ways that preserve and enhance the distinct skills and abilities of both fire services, increase their combined power, and allow them to work more effectively with other related emergency services?
The Inquiry concluded that these objectives can best be achieved through the creation of a new statutory authority to replace the Emergency Services Bureau. This new authority would have the following characteristics:
• It would be separate from and independent of any department of state and would be outside the public service.
• It would be responsible for the overall strategic direction, management and operational control of the ACT Bushfire Service, the ACT Fire Brigade, the ACT Ambulance Service and ACT Emergency Services.
• It would report directly to the Minister responsible for emergency services.
• It would be headed by a full-time Chief Executive Officer.
• It would be structured in such a way as to
– maximise the opportunities to improve the operation effectiveness and flexibility of all of the emergency services organisations
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