Question Time

Bushfire Preparedness

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:14): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Can the minister tell the chamber about the fire danger season?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:15): I can, and let me thank the honourable member for his important question. As members should be well aware, last Thursday, 1 December, marked the start of the 2016-17 fire danger season with a statewide fire ban now in effect. On Thursday, I was in Newland Reserve with representatives of the CFS, the MFS, the State Emergency Service and South Australia Police to officially declare the beginning of the fire danger season. It was a fitting and illustrative location on the outskirts of metropolitan Adelaide, a spot in which the Ash Wednesday bushfire came dangerously close to ripping through only three decades ago. This memory should serve to remind us all of the potential risk that exists when suburban homes are dotted amongst bushland.

The CFS is urging all residents to get prepared, as independent research conducted by McGregor Tan has shown that only 56 per cent of at-risk people are aware that they live in a bushfire-prone area. Of particular concern is that only 32 per cent of people living in bushfire areas actually have a bushfire action plan. As we look back to major bushfire emergencies like Sampson Flat, communities living in urban fringe areas, and the Adelaide Hills in particular, should be aware of their bushfire risk. While we have experienced a particularly wet winter, there is one thing that is certain this summer, and that is that bushfires will happen. As such, we are asking everyone to plan to survive instead of leaving it until it is too late.

I would also like to use this opportunity to remind members of the CFS's new online tool they have launched, called 'My plan to survive'. This is an easy-to-use tool which enables you to create a digital survival plan which you can save to your phone and have at your fingertips should the need arise. The CFS is reminding the community that bushfire survival plans should contemplate not only your own personal safety but also the safety of your family and other loved ones, pets and livestock. The importance of preparing a bushfire action plan simply cannot be understated as the risks in leaving decisions to the last minute are potentially fatal.

We are asking all South Australians to take the time to write and practise their plans and think about alternatives should the plan not work. Just because someone may live in the city or a suburban area away from places at risk, they still need a plan in case they choose to travel or holiday in a bushfire-prone area. South Australians should be aware that fire danger season means that fire permits are required for all burning activities during the fire danger season or on days when a total fire ban is declared.

Strict penalties, including fines and imprisonment, may apply where a person is found guilty of lighting a fire without a permit during the fire danger season. If residents are unsure of what they can and cannot do during a fire ban, I encourage them to visit the CFS website. Some restrictions include having burn-offs without permission, burning rubbish or grass clippings, and having fires in forests and private reserves. SAPOL, last Thursday, also launched Operation Nomad which has had great success in patrolling areas at risk of arson as well as monitoring those with a history of arson-related offences. The public can remain informed and updated on warnings and emergencies through both the CFS website and the Alert SA app and website.

With all this in mind, it is important to remember that it is our men and women, both volunteer and paid professionals, who put themselves at risk each and every fire danger season when protecting our lives, property, pets, livestock and environment. We owe it to these men and women to ensure we are all aware of the fire bans and that we have proper plans in place should a bushfire occur, as it will be them who will be putting themselves in harm's way to save us if an emergency does arise.