Page 1520 - Week 05 - Thursday, 7 May 2015
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DR BOURKE: Minister, how do we support other jurisdictions with not only disaster relief but also cross-jurisdictional training and experience, given that the SES Volunteers Association has stated that our ACT SES are some of the best in the country?
MS BURCH: The ACT SES is indeed one of the best in the country. When I recently met with Doreen McEnroe, the president of the ACT SES Volunteers Association, I was delighted to hear of the recognition that our ACT SES have received for the work that they do, be that through assisting with search and rescue operations or through storm and weather responses, as we have recently experienced—and certainly as our neighbours in northern New South Wales have experienced.
Our SES volunteers and staff work closely with state emergency services across Australia through a number of activities and forums, including membership of the Australian Council of State Emergency Services, collaboration with adjacent New South Wales SES regions in operations and training such as flood rescue, land search and leadership, sharing best practice outcomes, involvement in local rescue competitions, and the biennial national disaster rescue challenge, which will be hosted by the ACT SES in September this year.
The ACT SES and ESA more broadly have a proud history of supporting other states during emergencies, from the Western Australian fires to the search for MH-370, to Cyclone Yasi and the Brisbane floods—and of course the Thredbo landslide.
I am immensely proud of our SES, and indeed of all of our ESA volunteers and workforce, and the outstanding contributions they make to our Emergency Services Agency in keeping our community safe. I thank them. On behalf of every member in this place, I take the opportunity to thank them, as volunteers, and their families for supporting them. Our community is a better place for their activities.
Mr Barr: I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.
Supplementary answers to questions without notice
Government—tendering arrangements
MR RATTENBURY: Yesterday I was asked a series of questions by Mr Smyth and others about the Lakeside Leisure Centre tender process. I can inform Mr Smyth that while the usual practice is to publicise submissions received post the closing date, this is not a legislative requirement and this policy will be subject to review.
In this instance the decision was made to not post the respondents on the procurement website until the conclusion of the request for proposal process, or RFP. An RFP process allows negotiations, if necessary, between the territory and the successful respondent. It was deemed that publication of the list of respondents for this management contract prior to the negotiations was not conducive to achieving the best outcome for the process; hence the delay until the RFP process concludes. Mr Smyth subsequently asked me whether the government—
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