Bushfire Preparedness

Mr BATTY (Bragg) (15:27): As another summer draws to a close, I rise to speak about the ever-present threat of bushfires in my local electorate of Bragg. In doing so, I mark this year, the 40^th anniversary of the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983, because it was 40 years ago that some of the most devastating fires we have ever seen swept our state. Fanned by winds of up to 110 km/h, those fires tragically claimed the lives of 28 South Australians, including 16 firefighters. Hundreds of buildings were destroyed and over 200,000 hectares of land burnt.

Over the past few days and weeks I have been reading some accounts from that day, including from people who were on Yarrabee Road in Greenhill in my electorate on that day, which was left devastated by these fires. Indeed, there are still serving members of the Burnside CFS today who remember fighting that fire 40 years ago, and that day is never far from their mind every day of summer, even today. So, on this 40^th anniversary year of the Ash Wednesday bushfires, we honour and we remember all those who lost their lives in those terrible fires.

We also remember the need to be ever vigilant today, to protect our lives, to protect our homes and to protect our property against any similar catastrophe ever occurring again. The recent bushfire we saw this summer in Montacute was a very timely reminder of the fire risk that my own community faces in the Adelaide foothills. We are so very lucky to have hardworking CFS brigades and other volunteer community groups that serve us to both reduce fire risk and also to respond to bushfires when they occur.

Of course, every summer we must always hope for the best, but it is very important that we prepare for the worst. For those in bushfire-prone areas, we must remember that it is important to always have a bushfire plan, an emergency kit ready and to stay up to date with the latest warnings and advice from local authorities.

It is also vital, though, that the state government adequately resources our bushfire preparedness so that we can continue this important work and ensure that no corners are cut, which is why I was extremely concerned about the recent funding cuts to prescribed burning by the Malinauskas Labor government.

The prescribed burning program is an important way to reduce fuel hazards and to help prevent bushfires from spreading. Ultimately, it is a program that saves homes. It is a program that saves lives, so this is a very dangerous decision that is going to dramatically reduce our emergency services' ability to properly manage and reduce fuel loads. We just cannot have a situation where our homes and our properties are not protected because money has been ripped from the prescribed burning program by this state government.

Our brave firefighters, many of whom are volunteers, put their lives on the line for us, and quite frankly they deserve better, so I call on the state government to restore these vital bushfire resources and to reverse the $1 million of funding cuts from the prescribed burning program.

I also call on the government to back our local CFS, the Burnside CFS, which is of course one of the very few metropolitan-based services. It also has responsibility for incidents on the South Eastern Freeway. The trouble is that their station and main engine bay was built in the 1960s, and the brigade's operational needs since then, some 70 years on, have evolved significantly. Indeed, currently one of the brigade's vehicles is being accommodated in a facility adjacent to the Burnside council depot, which presents significant challenges.

The brigade has proposed a number of solutions. It has been a pleasure to take the shadow minister, the member for Hammond, down there to visit, to see this problem firsthand. I have also been engaging constructively with the minister on this issue, and I hope to continue to do so, so that we can ensure the CFS are well equipped to do this important work, and to prepare ahead of future bushfire seasons.