Page 15 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 11 February 2020
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aerial firefighting capability and implementing platforms to work with other Australian and international emergency services under reciprocal arrangements, which has benefited us all.
The ESA headquarters has been heavily utilised this season in response to the hazards faced in the ACT. Staff and volunteers from across ACT government have come together at ESA headquarters to manage the incidents, provide effective communications to the community and coordinate services to meet community needs and recovery.
Communities have seen and will continue to see social and economic impacts as a result of the bushfires or resulting smoke. Those communities along the South Coast of New South Wales, and those in the transitioning towns such as Bungendore and Braidwood, have had their normal holiday trade completely diminished as a result of the fires. Some traders in Braidwood have reported a 75 per cent decrease in profits compared to a normal summer holiday period. Despite this, in time, the process of rebuilding will bring work to the affected regions, boosting local economies and increasing tourism. (Extension of time granted.)
We cannot forget our local Canberra businesses, which have been impacted by the bushfire, hail, heat and smoke. Many Canberra businesses rely on the excellent weather conditions that we are accustomed to in our amazing city for their trade, and I encourage Canberrans to support those local businesses as the conditions continue to improve.
Our natural and cultural environment holds a special place in the hearts of many Canberrans. As fellow south-siders, we know that one of the best things about Tuggeranong is the views of the Brindabellas and having the bush on our doorstep. This closeness brings with it the challenges of bushfires, though, something our community has endured, seeing firsthand the impact on Namadgi National Park and Tidbinbilla nature reserve.
These special places conserve significant ecological and cultural values, including rock art sites at Yankee Hat and the former space tracking station at Honeysuckle Creek, as well as being important to the northern corroboree frog, the Macquarie perch and the spotted-tail quoll. They also include important habitats such as grasslands and bogs and fens. These areas are also critical for ensuring the quality of our drinking water. Staff across the environment division, including our parks and conservation service team, having been working together with the Emergency Services Agency to respond to the fires in the ACT and across the country.
Over 250 staff in the environment division, including the parks and conservation service, have been on the ground putting out the fires and, in critical roles in the incident management team, directing the fire response and providing technical advice on fire behaviour, fire weather, as well as developing strategies and identifying important values to protect. Behind the scenes, the team have also undertaken actions to conserve and protect a range of important values before the fire impacted them, including: establishing bare earth lines to protect heritage values from fire; installing and activating hoses and drip systems; removing wooden infrastructure; and
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