Page 3394 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 18 September 2013
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Paragraph 3.9 states:
Section 76 of the Emergencies Act 2004 provides that, after the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan is approved by the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, the Emergency Services Agency must conduct an assessment, based on the Plan, of available resources and capabilities for bushfire prevention and preparedness. This assessment must be given to the ACT Bushfire Council and the Minister for Police and Emergency Services.
Paragraph 3.10 states:
The Emergency Services Agency conducted an assessment of additional resources it required—
so we know they have got it—
to implement specific activities in the Plan. This assessment did not include an assessment of all resources needed, including existing resources, and the assessment was not provided to the ACT Bushfire Council.
And then recommendation 2 states:
The Emergency Services Agency should comply with the Emergencies Act 2004 requirements for the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan by including in this Plan an explicit statement of all resources needed to meet the objectives of the Plan.
This very serious allegation, or very serious words from the Auditor-General, does follow up on the years of questions that I have asked in successive annual reports hearings and in estimates as to when these documents will be made public.
It is interesting when you actually go to the strategic bushfire management plan that on page 51, part 6, under the heading “Resource Requirements”—so the minister knew that it had to be there—it states:
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.
The various elements and aspects of the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan will generate demands on the agencies and individuals … In some cases these may be significant across the life of the plan and will require specific calculation and procuring.
It goes on to say:
Hence the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan is for 10 years.
So we have a situation where we have a law, and it is actually a law this government passed. It is their own Emergencies Act 2004. In it is the requirement that the resources that are needed to fight a bushfire be listed, and it is to be in the management plan. It is not.
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