Bushfire Preparedness

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light—Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:24): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: As of today, the entire state has officially entered the fire danger season. Yesterday, the emergency services chief officers, the acting assistant commissioner of police and I went to Newland Reserve at Erindale and spoke to the media about the official start of the fire danger season and SAPOL's Operation Nomad. It allowed us to speak to the community about bushfire risk and the restrictions in place during the bushfire season. It was also another opportunity to remind the public and reinforce a culture of shared responsibility amongst all South Australians. The community needs to ensure they clear their properties of fuel and establish and/or rehearse their bushfire survival plans. This is especially important as the weather heats up this week. I am advised that tomorrow we are expecting total fire bans in a number of districts.

The CFS has 17 aircraft contracted for the 2015-16 fire danger season. There are currently four water bombers located at Woodside, two at Port Lincoln and two at Mount Gambier, along with two air attack helicopters also based at Woodside and an observation aircraft. These aircraft can be reconfigured or moved around very quickly as the fire danger risk profile changes. Further, aircraft start dates will be staggered to ensure maximum fleet availability during the height of the fire season in January and February.

The CFS also has access to the State Rescue Helicopter Service for total fire ban days in the Mount Lofty Ranges and additional aircraft can be sourced through our national resource sharing arrangements. However, while aircraft are a valuable firefighting resource, they do not replace the need for firefighters on the ground. Aircraft cannot work at night or in low visibility conditions during the day. The CFS is working closely with the MFS, SES, SAFECOM, DEWNR, ForestrySA and SA Water, as well as local government and many other agencies and interstate partners to ensure we are well prepared, but the public need to do their part also. The best response is prevention.

One of the agencies the CFS works with closely is SAPOL. SAPOL's Operation Nomad has been conducted annually since 1992 in support of the emergency services and other partner agencies. Approximately half of all the apprehensions made by police during the last Operation Nomad related to people being foolhardy rather than intending to commit arson. I urge all the community to carefully consider their actions as poor decision-making can have tragic outcomes for the wider community.

During the last fire danger season there were 648 Nomad fire incidents, which led to 35 people being apprehended, including 12 arrests. As part of the operation this year, 237 people will be monitored. Of those, 30 are considered high risk. Police regularly visit those deemed to be a high risk, including on extreme or catastrophic fire days. As part of Operation Nomad, SAPOL is encouraging people to be on the lookout for suspicious, reckless or negligent behaviour that may cause a bushfire and to report anything to police or Crime Stoppers. I would again like to take this opportunity to thank our dedicated police and all emergency services staff and volunteers, and I wish them well for the potentially dangerous period that lies ahead.

Mr GARDNER: Point of order: the convention of the house is that ministers show courtesy to members by providing copies of ministerial statements. Can I invite him to familiarise himself with the photocopiers?

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Emergency Services apologises. He merely forgot the pile of copies next to him on the bench.