Country Fire Service

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (14:51): My question is to the Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services. Can the minister provide an update to the house about whether the examination into disciplinary regulations in the CFS, launched in September 2023, has been completed? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr PEDERICK: On 31 October last year, it was reported that the then minister had launched an examination into disciplinary regulations.

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN (Kavel—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Special Minister of State) (14:52): It is absolutely right for me to acknowledge in this place the work of the member for Cheltenham, the former minister. He was diligent, proactive, thoughtful, careful, and he did one thing that you didn't do: he listened. He formed the view that it was the best course to listen carefully to the views expressed by the volunteer associations. Those views were as they had been expressed to two former ministers, as the evidence before, as I understand it, the committee in the other place is fairly described. He acted on those requests, initiated a review process.

We are now towards the end of the internal considerations from the agencies in respect of the regulations that need to be brought forward, which I hope will, subject to consultation, replace the regulations that are existing as well. But members must keep closely in mind that the regulations are informed by a policy. They are informed by policies that will also need to be developed, and they are informed by the decision-making of individual officers. I will continue to listen very closely to the views of the volunteer associations. We are absolutely committed to ensuring that there will be consultation on new regulations. I look forward to that process as it develops.