Emergency Services Volunteer Recruitment

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:18): I have a supplementary question. What support, including funding, is the government providing for those former CFS volunteers who have dropped out of their volunteering because they have moved from the rural and regional areas of our state to the peri-urban and metropolitan areas and yet would like to continue to be CFS volunteers, having moved from their local communities?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:18): Where volunteers move around our communities, which of course occurs from time to time, the government does seek to encourage those persons to remain within volunteer organisations. We want people volunteering across peri-urban areas and regional areas and, of course, where people move from regional areas, particularly younger people moving from a regional area to a peri-urban area for instance, it is in everybody's interest that that person remain volunteering.

I am happy to take on notice if there is any specific funding allocated towards that specific task. What I would say, generally speaking, though, is that our volunteer numbers have remained pretty good, particularly within the CFS. We would hope that those numbers continue to grow.

One of the consequences of unfortunate incidents like Pinery and Sampson Flat is that it does elevate the consciousness of the public's mind towards the importance of volunteering and the incredibly hard work that they do. That does often reflect itself in an increase in the number of people putting up hands to become volunteers. But I am more than happy to inquire as to whether or not there is a specific program or funds that are allocated towards ensuring people who do transfer locations stay trained up.

I would say, though, in regard to peri-urban areas, there is always going to be a retained demand for people who are working in those areas. I think lots of people make the mistake of just assuming the CFS operates out in the regions, and sometimes people aren't necessarily aware of the fact that there are CFS stations in what could otherwise be categorised as metropolitan locations—and often they are incredibly active.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: There's one in Salisbury.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: Indeed—and in Burnside. There are many very, very active brigades, and we thank them for their work. Often, of course, those brigades that are operating in these sorts of areas have also other levels of training as well. We want to retain those skills. There are costs attached to bringing volunteers up to speed and having them trained up, so where there is migration of volunteers throughout the state it is very much in this government's interest to retain their services as best as we possibly can.

Finally, in respect of the Hon. Ms Franks' question, this government is going to continue to do everything we can to retain those volunteers. This advertising campaign, I think, seeks to do the right thing by attracting a more diverse mix of volunteers into the community. We are very grateful for those people, particularly those people who have been long servants of emergency services over many years, for all their hard work.

It is important that we have an eye to the future; to make sure we are recruiting younger people; that we are recruiting people outside of a demographic that might otherwise be represented by middle-aged men. We do want to be attracting women; we do want to be attracting people who come from different ethnicities. We want to make sure that our emergency services appeal to all members within our community, but do it in such a way that also honours the incredible service of those people who have been doing the work for a very long time.