Ministerial Statement

BUSHFIRE TASK FORCE

The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT (Lee—Minister for Police, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:23): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT: The Victorian bushfires of February 2009 have been described as an unprecedented disaster in Australia's history and were a tragedy that I am sure Australians will never forget. One hundred and seventy-three people lost their lives, while many more were left injured, homeless and dispossessed. Those who fought the fires on the ground did an extraordinary job, as did our volunteers who bravely went over to provide vital support. I again express my thanks for their efforts.

The state government acted quickly following the catastrophic bushfires by establishing the bushfire task force. The task force was commissioned to analyse key issues arising from the Victorian bushfires and to look into immediate, medium and long-term solutions needed to improve bushfire management practices and strategies in South Australia. The task force was chaired by the Chief Officer of the South Australian Country Fire Service, Mr Euan Ferguson, and comprised expert members from 18 government and non-government agencies.

A number of improvements have already been made in response to the commission's two interim reports in August 2009 and November 2009. On 31 July, the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission handed its final report to the Governor of Victoria and the Bushfire Task Force immediately commenced analysing each recommendation. The recommendations related to a wide range of fire management and bushfire safety policies. As a result of that analysis, I am able to inform the house of the state government's response to those 67 recommendations.

I am pleased to advise that South Australia is well placed in the lead-up to this fire danger season, with 28 of the 67 recommendations covering the areas of emergency and incident management, planning and building, safety policy, fire ground response and deliberately lit fires already in place. Of the remaining 39 recommendations, the state government supports 34, has noted three with an SA-based risk approach to be taken, while two recommendations are not supported.

The state government does not support recommendation 53, which relates to retreat and resettlement. If implemented, this recommendation would give property owners in high risk areas only a voluntary option of retreat and resettlement. Therefore, there is no guarantee that people would relocate even if buyback options were offered.

It is the government's view that such a policy would have significant unintended consequences to communities in high risk areas. Unintended consequences would include increased fire risk for those who chose to stay and economic impacts on local businesses and industries. People who I speak to in these areas tell me that they choose to live in such picturesque settings knowing full well the increased risk they face every summer. What we can do and what we have done is help people make informed decisions about the risks of living in these areas and put in place appropriate planning and building regulations to protect them from the threat of bushfires.

Since Black Saturday, the Rann government has provided an additional $47 million towards ensuring that South Australians are more prepared than ever before to face the threat of bushfires. Expenditure on firefighting aircraft has increased significantly since the election of this government. Under the previous government, $831,000 per year was allocated to our state's aerial capacity, while in 2010-11 over $7 million has been budgeted for, representing a $6 million increase since we were elected in 2002.

Our firefighters are better trained and better resourced than ever before with improvements in training, increases in funding and the provision of protective clothing and new equipment that is the envy of other services across the country. The state government remains committed to doing all that it can to preserve human life and property in the event of a bushfire and help make our state as safe as possible. While preparation for the upcoming fire season—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT: —has priority, of the 34 recommendations supported by the government, those that have the most impact on the protection of human life will be the primary focus, while other initiatives will be progressed as resources and opportunity allow.

The task now for this government, for communities and for individuals, is to ensure that our state is as prepared as possible and as fire safe and fire ready as possible for the upcoming bushfire season. It is vitally important that we all play our part this bushfire season to ensure that we are bushfire ready. The state government is absolutely determined—in partnership with agencies, local government, communities and individuals—to do everything in its power to make our communities better prepared and as safe as possible.

The SPEAKER: There is a lot of background noise here this afternoon; it is very hard to hear. Can you please keep quiet and give the ministers the courtesy they deserve. The Minister for Families and Communities.