Page 3661 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 26 August 2008
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area. The success of that method has been demonstrated, not just through normal fire-fighting techniques, but it is something that has actually occurred over 40,000 years of human habitation in the ACT. I recommend, over and above what the committee has recommended, that a comprehensive program be developed and implemented to reduce fuel loads in the forest areas of the ACT. I further recommend the ACT begin negotiations with the New South Wales government for a similar program to be developed and implemented in areas of New South Wales that abut the ACT.
From all the evidence we heard, it seems sensible to me for the volunteer fire brigades and other fire-fighting entities to be given much greater flexibility to assist them in putting out fires early. There is great experience in these brigades. The inappropriate way they were handled in the 2003 fires, and you only need to refer to the coroner’s report—
At 6.00 pm, in accordance with standing order 34, the motion for the adjournment of the Assembly was put and negatived.
Sitting suspended from 6.00 to 7.30 pm.
MR STEFANIAK: I also fear a continuing, misguided overemphasis on environmental damage that may be caused by controlled burning. I think the greatest asset we have—and this was made very clear by Wayne West and his colleague—is, in fact, our forests. As a result of the 2003 fires, parts of our forests have been destroyed and will not recover for another century. That is how serious it is, and that is why I think that properly controlled burns to reduce fuel loads save the environment. Any adverse effects they might have on the localised environment are peripheral to the big picture. I think government needs to appreciate this rather than being captured by what is often uninformed views of some misguided people.
I think it is very important for the government not to prevaricate, obfuscate or pretend things are going fine. If they do, those dire predictions by experienced people like Val Jeffrey will come to pass. It was only by sheer luck that those dreadful fires in 2003 did not kill more people. We have to learn from the mistakes of the past. We have to make sure our systems are in place. We have to ensure morale in our essential services is good, the structures are there, the communications are there, the techniques and the training are there and the cross-border arrangements are there to ensure that we can adequately address, as far as humanly possible, future threats by fire.
We have to take the necessary precautions out there in the wilderness areas of the ACT to ensure that the fuel loads are managed, that there is access, that there is a regular program of burning and mosaic burning and that we take all the other steps that are necessary to ensure we adequately protect it. We have to ensure that there are proper communications.
The debacle in relation to the move to Fairbairn is something the committee does address. Again, perhaps some of that could be stronger. But that is something that absolutely needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. I do think the recommendations there get to the bottom of what has been a very disastrous process
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