Farm Firefighting Units

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (15:14): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Has the minister consulted with farmers regarding the requirement to register farm fire units with the CFS? With your leave, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr BELL: Farmers have begun approaching me saying the requirement to register their farm fire units involves an inspection and a sticker being applied, and they are concerned the process will become a bureaucratic nightmare that may potentially result in farm fire units not being allowed to fight fires.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services) (15:15): I thank the member for Mount Gambier for the question. Firstly, can I say thank you to the farm firefighting units. We just could not do what we do in this state in terms of fighting fires without our hardworking, diligent farm firefighting units. Often, they are the first to attend the scene, and I know that a wide variety—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: —of members on this side of the chamber also share with me their thanks for the farm firefighting units and what they do in helping to protect lives and protect property when, unfortunately, fires do break out in our regional areas.

With respect to the member's question, though, I certainly haven't had any negative feedback brought to my attention, but if the member does have any particular feedback from farmers in his electorate I would certainly encourage them to get in contact with me. I am more than happy to pass on their concerns to the CFS about what is quite clearly an operational matter. I am happy to talk through those issues. All in all, I would certainly encourage our farm firefighting units to work with our CFS because we all know that it will achieve better results when our CFS and our farm firefighting units ultimately work together.