Bushfire Preparedness

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:36): I seek leave to make a brief explanation prior to addressing a question to the Minister for Emergency Services regarding bushfire preparedness.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: In times of emergencies, such as bushfire or a fire that spreads to cropping areas, rural and regional landholders are not only the first line of volunteer defence that steps up to help but they also make their resources available for use, such as dam water and farm fire units.

Given the drought has emptied thousands of dams and tanks across the state and water is an incredibly precious commodity in the season ahead, my question to the minister is: what alternative plans are being made for a bushfire season with extending drought conditions and little access to on-farm water assets, with people's dams and tanks running dry?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (Minister for Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Autism, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:37): I thank the honourable member for her question. As she has rightly highlighted, we know that our emergency services responders play a significant role in supporting our communities, and particularly finding ways to provide that support. I know that there have been many discussions about how we can continue to provide that support.

This has been a long, dry summer and different learnings have come about from that experience. It is my understanding that our emergency services have been working with SA Water and DEW on what that could look like going forward. As I understand, those discussions have been had and will continue to happen, because we know that there are always learnings when it comes to bushfire management and how we can best protect our community. They are ongoing discussions, and important ones at that.