House of Assembly: Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Contents

Yahl Country Fire Service Facilities

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (15:20): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Could the minister update the house on the progress of the Yahl CFS facilities?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services) (15:20): I thank the member for Mount Gambier for his question. I want to take this opportunity to, first and foremost, thank the CFS for the outstanding job they have done this bushfire season. Obviously, we had an extremely difficult season in 2019-20, but a much better season in 2020-21. After implementing the Keelty review, we have gone on with investing over $97½ million to make sure that we make our emergency services the best they can be, investing in things like thermal imaging cameras across the board and conducting a number of facility upgrades.

On the weekend—speaking of the regions and to the member's point—I was actually at another facility, in the member for Hammond's electorate, at Tailem Bend. Can I tell you that out in that part of the region at the moment you've got this electric feeling, so much excitement, because we actually opened a brand-new station.

In relation to the member for Mount Gambier's area, I have done one visit to his electorate in regard to these facilities. He wasn't there that day, but what I will do is commit to make sure that I get down to that part of the world in the not too distant future, and I am happy to have a chat about that particular facility to see what can be done.

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell: They don't want to see you, they want to see improvements. They want to see an upgrade, not you!

The SPEAKER: Member for Mawson, order! In circumstances of the observation of the member for Frome just now, I take the opportunity to draw all members' attention once again to sessional order 5 among those sessional orders adopted on 2 March, and, notwithstanding any convention that might have arisen over the course of these short weeks, remind members of the terms of sessional order 5.