Page 119 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 12 February 2020
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We know that our people and the environment are resilient, but both need our support as we now move into the recovery phase. A post-fire recovery team has been established to assess recovery needs across the conservation estate. The post-fire recovery team are a multidisciplinary team that specialises in fire impact assessment for threatened species, habitat, water quality, cultural heritage assets, infrastructure and threats to water catchments.
The team will assess post-fire recovery needs in the environment and will provide land managers with information on the impacts of the fire on environmental and cultural values. The team will also work to identify risks following the fire, given the increased likelihood of soil erosion and the occurrence of invasive species, and will provide advice on how these risks may be addressed. Opportunities for community engagement in post-fire recovery are also being developed, based on advice from ecologists, land managers and the specialist risk assessment team. As I have already said to our community, we will rebuild; we will recover and enhance our parks. I am leading this work and it has commenced.
I want to pass on my sincere thanks to all involved in assisting the community to remain safe. I thank the volunteers and staff from the ACT Rural Fire Service, the ACT State Emergency Service, the ACT Ambulance Service, ACT Fire & Rescue, ACT mapping and planning support, ESA support services, the ACT parks and conservation service, ACT Policing, the Australian Defence Force, and public servants across the ACT government who have worked tirelessly on the ground and in the incident management team, the IMT, to keep the territory safe and respond to storms and bushfires.
I want to acknowledge the families, friends and employers of the emergency service volunteers and the personnel who have assisted the ESA. Without your support to our volunteers across the ACT Rural Fire Service, ACT SES and ACT mapping and planning support it would not have been possible to respond to these incidents in the way that we have. Through your support to those volunteering in our services, you have helped to keep the community safe.
I also want to acknowledge and give thanks for the support provided to the territory by the Australian Defence Force and the New Zealand Defence Force and their personnel. They helped to protect the ACT and surrounding region. Thank you also to the crews from interstate, including New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania, for their support in helping respond to bushfires and storms that have occurred so far.
I want to acknowledge the continued support from the ACT community and communities from around Australia with generous donations for our volunteer firefighters and those who have been impacted by fires. Particular thanks go to Dean from the “G” Spot, Roseanne Howes, Samantha Fenton and Lia Therese from Slabs for Heroes, Rod and Sara Wark for their assistance to Slabs for Heroes, and the wider community for coming together to recognise and support not only the ACT community but all bushfire-affected communities in Australia.
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