Bushfire Protocols

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:27): Supplementary: if that is the advice that has been given to the minister, will she seek to consult with the Wilmington community, particularly those in farm firefighting units and the CFS, to ensure that she gets both sides of the story?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (Minister for Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Autism, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:28): As I advised the chamber, I was in Wilmington and based myself where all the volunteers were coming to refill, to get some food, before going back out on their next rotation.

I have also had many conversations with the Region 4 community in regard to CFS volunteers and also the members that are based in the Region 4 headquarters. There is an incident control room that is based in the Region 4 headquarters in Port Augusta and that is where a lot of the information is delivered to the local community. This is what I am advised.

I also went to the Port Augusta headquarters when I was on my way to Wilmington to see the incredible work that they undertake—the mapping that is put into place to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

I really do appreciate, as a country kid myself, that it is not a nice feeling when there is a fire breaking out in your local area. But there is a really big importance that there is that central control—and, as I said, that was based in Port Augusta—with locals being able to participate in that information, as far as I am aware, of what is happening, and being mapped and coordinating that message back to the ground.