Page 3259 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 21 August 2019
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Before concluding, I want to congratulate Georgeina Whelan on becoming the first woman to be the ACT’s Emergency Services Commissioner. She brings tremendous experience to this role, and I am delighted at the example she will set for women across our services, showing that there is no job that women cannot do. I look forward to talking about this more, and about her achievements, in this place in the near future.
MS CODY: How else is the government supporting firefighters across Murrumbidgee and the ACT?
MR GENTLEMAN: In 2018 work was completed to upgrade the existing Molonglo Rural Fire Service shed. The project was funded as part of the natural disaster resilience program funding in the 2016-17 ACT budget. The project included both internal works to male and female locker rooms and ablutions and external works to the vehicle storage bays. The work on the locker rooms and ablutions were in line with the ESA’s women in emergency services strategy and assists in the recruitment and retention of female firefighters.
Also I recently attended a meeting with community fire unit (CFU) volunteers, where I was made aware of the establishment of CFUs in the Denman Prospect area. CFUs provide an invaluable service to communities in high bushfire risk areas on the urban edges of the ACT such as Denman Prospect. CFU volunteers complement the work done by ACT Fire & Rescue and the ACT Rural Fire Service, where the whole community can contribute towards maintaining a safe and secure city. I want to acknowledge the positive response from the residents of Denman Prospect and want to thank Capital Estate Developments as well, who arranged to donate two CFU trailers to support the Denman Prospect community.
While the ACT government continues to provide support and infrastructure for growing areas of the ACT like Molonglo, the government also continues to invest in established areas like the Woden Valley. The ACT Fire & Rescue station, ambulance station and ACT State Emergency Service unit, all located in Phillip, have ensured the safety of Woden residents over many decades. Like all Canberrans, the people of the Molonglo and Woden valleys will benefit from the ACT government’s recent announcements about providing additional front-line firefighters and paramedics to meet the increasing demands of a growing city.
MS CHEYNE: Minister, what help is being provided to other emergency services?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Ms Cheyne for her interest in safety across the city as well. While the government has a proven record of increased investment in its emergency facilities and services, it is also keen to invest in its emergency services personnel. Examples include the women in emergency services strategy, through which we have implemented a variety of activities such as come & try day, boot camp for ACT Fire & Rescue, and the tool time workshop. This allows a hands-on approach to understanding the practicalities of being an ACT firefighter.
There is the empowering and diversity program. Three ESA staff members were recently provided an opportunity to attend the national police, defence and emergency
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