Farm Firefighting Units

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:03): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. How many grants for farm firefighting units have been approved and paid through the government's Regional Capability Community Fund to applicants outside the Greater Adelaide and peri-urban areas in the past four years? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr WHETSTONE: The opposition is aware of a cohort of approximately 60 farmers in the Mid North who have advised none of their applications for funding over the past four years have been approved.

The Hon. R.K. PEARCE (King—Minister for Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:04): I thank the member for his question. This is a really important initiative that's helping to keep so many people safe in their communities. It plays an important role in helping to support our emergency services as well. As someone who is a local member in a peri-urban area, I write to my constituency each and every time, encouraging them to apply for these grants because we know it plays an important role in helping to incentivise these works.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Trade can leave question time until the end of question time. The member for Florey is on his final warning.

The honourable member for Cheltenham having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: Minister, continue.

The Hon. R.K. PEARCE: I am pretty confident on the needs of my local community. I know it's something that they have taken up and it's something I have supported them in doing each and every time there has been a round, because I know it is so important to support communities to feel safe and equipped and prepared, particularly with the season that we are coming into this year.

We have been really proud of the grants that we have been able to issue to date, which go across a vast area of our communities across the state and provide so much support in myriad ways. I know, Mr Speaker, your community has received quite a few grants as well, as have many other members' communities in the area.

In terms of the specific amount that has been issued over the last four years, it's something I can certainly delve into and get more information back to the member. I would also like to state that if there are members of the community who are concerned, I am more than happy to have a conversation to better understand their needs, and if there have been issues about the applications and what we might need to do, I am more than happy to raise that with the department as well.