EMERGENCY SERVICES COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCH SYSTEM

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (14:48): Again, my question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. If the minister believes that the $36 million computer aided dispatch system SACAD is working 'exactly as it should', as she told the estimates committee on 21 June, why are volunteers complaining of serious system faults? The CFS Volunteers Association wrote to the minister on 18 July to outline numerous ongoing issues with SACAD. The CFS volunteers have given the minister until 1 November to fix the problems or there will be a public campaign to alert the public of 'elevated risk to the community' because of the ongoing faults with SACAD working 'exactly as it should'.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:49): I thank the member for Morphett for his question, and can I correct from the outset that the SACAD program is a $33 million program. It always has been a $33 million program.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: The $36 million is inclusive of GST, which I think you understand we don't pay. Anyway, it is a $33 million program that we have—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —implemented.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: As I have said on numerous occasions in this place, this is a very complex, high-tech new computer aided dispatch system, one that we needed to invest in because the old system was at risk of breaking down. Should that have occurred, people in our community would be at risk. It is working as it should in that not one incident hasn't been responded to. Not one incident hasn't had the resources that it needs to be attended to. The concerns that have been expressed by some CFS brigades are around—

Dr McFetridge: And the police and the ambos—

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: No, sorry.

Dr McFetridge: —and the SES.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: No.

The SPEAKER: Member for Morphett, order! You've asked your question.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: You are quoting directly from a letter from the CFS Volunteer Association and the concerns that have been expressed—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —are that too many resources have gone to an incident, not enough. SACAD operates on the information that has been fed into it by—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —the various agencies, and that has been provided at a local level. There has been a business reference group established. Every complaint that has been lodged has been dealt with by that business reference group, and I understand the Chief Officer makes regular contact on a daily basis with the volunteer association to see whether there are any new or emerging issues that they have concern with.