Fire Danger Season

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (14:20): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Will the minister revisit the start of the fire danger season in the Lower South-East? With your leave, Mr Speaker, and the leave the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr McBRIDE: Locals were given a week's notice for the start of the season, which began on 1 November. They say significant rainfall in that part of my electorate has made it impossible to conduct burns, with some residents saying that their burn piles are sitting in water.

The Hon. R.K. PEARCE (King—Minister for Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:21): I would like to thank the member for his question and for advocating on behalf of his community on such an important topic. I also note that he has written to me on the matter, and, upon receiving that correspondence, my office immediately reached out to personally invite him to the fire danger season event that I am hosting here at parliament tomorrow. I hope to see you at Old Parliament House at 10am, and I encourage all members here to attend as well.

As many know, the majority of South Australia has now entered fire danger season, with 11 of the state's 15 fire ban districts in effect, and the remainder are officially declared. I was able to officially launch the Be Bushfire Ready 2025 campaign on Friday 31 October, with representatives from the CFS and the MFS and with Mr Ian Hancock, who is a property owner from Humbug Scrub who was unfortunately impacted by the Sampson Flat fire. It was really important to have him with us because, as somebody who has experienced a fire and an evacuation of the like of Sampson Flat, he was able to share the difference it made in being prepared, compared to his neighbours in that region. I very much thank him for his advocacy on such an important topic.

It is so important to remind our communities, each and every year, that awareness and preparation, including creating a bushfire survival plan, are key to keeping your family safe. It is the best way that we can show our appreciation for our CFS and our MFS alike. The best way we can keep them safe is by ensuring we are safe and that our properties are as prepared as possible. Recent research does show that people who are aware of the bushfire risk in their area are more likely to be prepared for a bushfire and recognise the risk that it does present to their property.

The Be Bushfire Ready campaign assets, including assistance with preparing your property and making your bushfire plan, are available at cfs.sa.gov.au/plan-prepare/bushfire-ready. It takes less than five minutes, and you will be surprised at how many components and questions are asked in there that you might not necessarily attribute to making a huge difference in making sure you and your family are safe.

Regarding the member's specific query about the start of the fire danger season in the Lower South-East, I can advise that the South Australian Country Fire Service announced the Lower South-East fire danger season on 23 October 2025, to run from 1 November to 30 April 2026. Under the Fire and Emergency Services Act, the SA CFS chief officer determines the fire danger season dates, based on the recommendations from regional bushfire management committees which consider local conditions, the forecast data as well as stakeholder input.

The Limestone Coast Bushfire Management Committee met on 14 October, and that included representatives from local government, SAPOL, Primary Producers SA, SA CFS Volunteers Association, Department for Infrastructure and Transport, Department for Environment and Water, Department of Primary Industries and Regions, Burrandies Aboriginal Corporation, Conservation Council South Australia, Forest Owners Conference, Landscape Board representatives, SA Metropolitan Fire Service, and SA Water. This committee recommended aligning the Lower South-East fire danger season with the Upper South-East based on the seasonal conditions, fuel-load assessments and the benefits of consistent messaging and preparedness across the district, with a commencement date of 1 November.

I am, of course, aware that the Lower South-East fire ban district encompasses a large geographical area and that conditions may vary slightly across the region. I was actually really pleased to be able to attend the Limestone Coast bushfire season readiness summit in Mount Gambier in my second week as minister, with Minister Scriven in attendance, to discuss those needs. I will be back in contact very shortly with more information.