COOMUNGA BUSHFIRE

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:43): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement on the subject of the Coomunga fire.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: In the past two weeks two significant fires have burnt on Lower Eyre Peninsula. The Premier has previously issued a ministerial statement on the first of these fires, which started near Tulka on 11 November 2012 and burnt through almost 2,000 hectares of pastoral land and scrub. The second significant fire began on Tuesday 20 November, the first designated catastrophic day of the 2012-13 fire season. It should be noted that on this day more than 300 fires were reported across the state.

The Coomunga fire came within six kilometres of the Port Lincoln township and, at its peak, five bomber aircraft were in use to contain the fire. In total, it burnt through approximately 2,300 hectares of bush and grasslands.

The Emergency Relief Functional Service opened an Emergency Relief Centre at the Curtin Point Bowling Club at the request of SAPOL on 20 November, operated by Housing SA with the assistance of Red Cross. More than 20 people attended the centre, with all able to return to their homes later in the day.

Back-burning across the weekend has been very successful, and the fire is now deemed controlled. However, resources will be on the ground for the next eight to 10 days to prevent flare-ups. I am pleased to advise that there have been no reports of significant injury or property loss as a result of the Coomunga fire. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff and volunteers of numerous organisations, including the CFS, SA Police, SA Ambulance, the SES, the Salvation Army, St John Ambulance, Housing SA, Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources and the Lower Eyre Peninsula Council.