Extreme Weather Response

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:59): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services and Correctional Services. Can the minister tell the council about our emergency services response to the recent extreme weather events?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (Minister for Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Autism, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:59): I thank the member for his question and for his interest in our recent extreme weather event. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of our emergency services volunteers in the face of last week's severe weather event, an event that tested the resilience of our communities.

As every member in this chamber would know, in the early hours of Friday morning, a powerful cold front swept through South Australia, impacting the Adelaide metropolitan area, Mount Lofty Ranges, Yorke Peninsula, Mid North and the South-East. At 6.35am the BOM issued a severe weather warning, including a fast-moving tornado and destructive wind cell. Two tornadoes were confirmed in Adelaide's northern suburbs, Para Hills and Elizabeth, causing significant damage and distress. A wind gust reached up to 106 km/h at Outer Harbor and 96 km/h at Adelaide Airport, with similarly destructive speeds recorded across the state.

According to the SES, by 6.30pm more than 535 emergency jobs had been lodged, with 494 requests for assistance, including 100 active cases. The MFS and the CFS were also very busy on Friday, with hundreds of jobs allocated to them each. These were unprecedented conditions, and our volunteers and emergency services personnel responded with remarkable courage, professionalism and speed. I want to especially commend the new members of the Gawler SES unit, who were deployed to their first major event. Despite being new to the role, they performed with exceptional skill and composure, embodying the spirit of the service that defines our emergency services.

Thankfully, five new storm trailers that were provided by the state government, fitted with the latest equipment, had rolled out across our SES units in Cleve, Port Augusta, Gawler, Hawker and Renmark just weeks earlier—the last of our 50 new trailers that have been provided to the SES. These enclosed trailers, easily towed by quick response vehicles, bring vital equipment directly to emergency locations, improving safety and efficiency in the most challenging conditions. Each trailer is equipped with a generator, lighting system, extendable mast, pole saw, handwash tank and toolboxes, ensuring our volunteers have the tools they need when they need them the most. This investment strengthens our emergency response capabilities for Eyre Peninsula, the Riverland and Flinders Ranges.

Our dedicated volunteers serve year round, often in the toughest of conditions. The Malinauskas government knows that providing them with the right equipment is not just practical, it is essential, and that is why we continue to invest in our emergency services. Thank you to everyone who put on a uniform and braved the harsh conditions and to those coordinating from the headquarters as well. Thank you to each and every one of you.