Emergency Services

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (14:54): My question is to the Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services. Can the minister update the house on how the Marshall government is delivering jobs across our emergency services?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I am going to ask for the excitement to be non-audible between the question and the answer.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:54): I thank the member for Hammond for his question and note that every time I get up into his electorate how excited and upbeat his community is at the wonderful work that he is doing to help the Marshall Liberal government deliver more jobs, lower costs and better services. I must commend him for his wonderful work. What we have seen—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —is more engineering. Up in Murray Bridge they carry out a number of works across our emergency services vehicles, with the safety system upgrades. They have done an outstanding job there with a cab deluge. The water halo systems are of course very important in our emergency services sector when they are fighting fires. To have that halo system in place is incredibly valuable. There are in-cabin pump controls as well, to give extra security and safety to our emergency services workers so that they can control that remotely through the vehicle cab. That is important, too, and again Moore has done that.

There is the replacement of cabin fire burnover curtains, which are the curtains you often see when you inspect inside a CFS truck—or you may even travel out in one on occasions. The curtains inside are vitally important to keep people safe. Along with these upgrades done by Moore Engineering, we have put significant money into fire appliances as well, to make sure that they are inspected and the vehicles are up to scratch and roadworthy.

A lot of work has been done to remove rust from a number of vehicles, rectifying them throughout all the brigades. To date, 109 appliances have been upgraded, with nine currently in progress and a further 86 scheduled. What's better is that all the work has been undertaken right there in the member for Hammond's electorate. So they are very happy at Moore Engineering.

It's a company that was established in 1972. It has now diversified to do a lot of work in mining as well. Not only that, but I know that they sponsor a lot of local community groups in the member for Hammond's electorate. They have diversified into the mining sector, as I said, and Mr Quentin Moore has been the recipient of a number of awards, SA Great Innovation and Outstanding Business Awards. Again, it is a great business, growing jobs here in South Australia. That is what we are focused on.

Moore Engineering currently employs 40 local personnel: 22 in engineering and fabrication, 12 in the mechanical workshop and six in operations and administration. It is not just in the emergency services sector that Moore Engineering have been working. There is more, and that is in the movement into the mining sector. From the government's perspective, there is also more: through our Project Renew we have injected $5 million into the local community, upgrading the facilities for our emergency services workers. To date, 122 projects have been implemented, and there are currently 34 projects in train.

As I said, I was in the member for Hammond's electorate. Mannum received $51,000 for asbestos removal; that's more jobs involved there. Cambrai had over $100,000 for a fire station extension. In fact, I was in the member for Chaffey's electorate as well, and there was $79,000 for Sedan for updating doors. At Swan Reach, they had a great new set of roller doors for $17,000-plus. I also ducked across to the member for Schubert's electorate, where Greenock and Roseworthy also received upgrades and had some asbestos removal: $62,000 was invested at the Greenock brigade, and at Roseworthy there was $22,000 for asphalt car parking and another $15,800 for improving external walls.

We know that our emergency services people do a marvellous job. In fact, they have already been called to duty, helping out in New South Wales and Queensland. We thank them very much for that. The predictions are for a dry and hot summer ahead, so we want to make sure that they are well prepared for what lies ahead. We know that they will be out there, doing all they can to keep our community safe. We take this opportunity to thank them.