Page 3393 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 18 September 2013
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Strategic bushfire management plan version 2 does not contain that list. You would have thought it was important the minister ensured that a document he has presented to this place complied with the law. “Comply with the law” is polite speak from the Auditor-General that you have broken the law. You have not complied.
When you go to the chapter about it on page 55, in the key findings, this is a key finding:
The Emergencies Act 2004 provides for the preparation of five-year Strategic Bushfire Management Plans by the Emergency Services Agency. The first Plan was implemented in January 2005. Following a review of its operation, the second Plan was approved in October 2009.
So one would assume, if they are five-year plans, the next one will be in 2014 or thereafter. The report continues:
The processes for the preparation of the 2009 Strategic Bushfire Plan met the requirements of legislation.
The processes did. The outcome did not. The report continues:
Subsection 72(2) of the Emergencies Act 2004 provides a comprehensive list of requirements for the content of the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan. The Strategic Bushfire Management Plan meets the majority of these requirements, except for a statement of resources needed to meet the objectives of the plan and the inclusion of a list of privately-owned assets of public interest that are vulnerable to bushfires.
The Emergency Services Agency established an inter-agency Strategic Bushfire Management Plan Implementation Working Group to monitor the implementation of the plan. Recently the group has met infrequently, and its meetings have been poorly attended. The Group has had limited effect.
The Emergency Services Agency’s reporting on the Plan has not been based on required audit and compliance activity, and has not been coordinated with the ACT Bushfire Council or communicated to the ACT community as originally intended.
These are very serious paragraphs. It goes on at page 59 of the report at paragraph 3.8:
Statement of Resources for the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan
3.8 The Strategic Bushfire Management Plan does not include a statement of resources needed to meet the objectives of the Plan. Chapter 6 of the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan does, however, outline an intent—
and we would all be very grateful, when the next bushfire hits, for the intent—
by the Emergency Services Agency to consider the resources required over the life of the Plan. It notes ‘the resourcing of this Plan may require additional funding and will be determined in the context of whole-of-government budget considerations over the life of the Plan.’
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