AERIAL FIREFIGHTING

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:38): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Emergency Services a question about aerial firefighting.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: In late February, the CFS warned that the fire danger season was still with us and that the community needed to remain bushfire ready. The CFS Deputy State Coordinator, Tim Davis, has said that we are still in the peak of the fire danger season, that bushfires are still a very real threat across the state and that the community should not become complacent. However, the opposition understands that, in spite of the high risk, the government allowed contracts for three firefighting helicopters to expire in late February/early March and these aircraft left the state.

March saw fires in Gumeracha, Kalangadoo, Williamstown, Willunga, Balhannah, Freeling, Naracoorte, Bordertown, Penola and the Coonawarra. My questions are:

1. Did the government fail to take the opportunity to extend the contract for three firefighting helicopters and to retain their services through March?

2. Was this decision based on a CFS assessment that the service did not need access to these aircraft in March?

3. Can the minister assure the council that reports that Treasury refused to extend the contracts on financial grounds are without foundation?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:40): I thank the honourable member for his question because it allows me to place on record this government's commitment to funding for emergency services in this state.

Clearly, aerial firefighting is a very important tool in fire suppression in the state and, in relation to the extension of any of the contracts, we had to bring them online earlier because of the dry season. I point out that we have had extension after extension throughout this whole time. I do not interfere. It is an operational decision in relation to how long the aircraft operations are extended for. As the season has progressed, the bushfire index (the soil dryness index) is looked at and, depending on the type of weather we have as we come into autumn, some of those contracts do come to an end. The call is made by the CFS at the operational level.

I had a briefing this morning from Chief Officer Euan Ferguson, and I advise the chamber that we still have the Erickson air crane here. I understand it is leaving tomorrow for overseas, but it has been here since the KI bushfires ready to support our wonderful CFS volunteers who work on the ground. Again, the contracts have been brought to a natural conclusion, first, depending on the availability because these aircraft do not stay in the one place. They are contracted to go with different bushfire seasons in different countries. Air support is still here in Adelaide, and it is looked at on a week-by-week basis from the beginning of March.

We still have with us two fixed-wing air tractors and a Cessna surveillance aircraft operating in the Mount Lofty Ranges, as well as two fixed-wing air tractors and a Cessna 172 surveillance aircraft in the lower South-East. A fixed-wing bomber on the lower Eyre Peninsula and two fixed-wing bombers for the secondary response zone concluded their contracts only last week. As I said, they are looked at on a week-by-week basis and a decision is made by the CFS at the operational level. As minister, I would never interfere with the advice that is provided to me at the operational level.