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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
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FIRE DANGER SEASON

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:57): My question is to Minister for Emergency Services. Can the minister provide details of South Australia's preparation for the bushfire season?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:57): This morning, I attended the launch of the fire danger season at Belair National Park, marking the start of fire bans across the entire state. Importantly, the event championed the message that, over the next five months, all South Australians need to be bushfire ready because, with the good rains this season, the bush is ready for fire. Already, we have been reminded of the realities bushfires pose to lives and properties with fires at Gladstone, Nairne and Port Augusta, where 125 homes and a school were evacuated.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: And Gawler Ranges, but these—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: These fires posed threat to property and lives. Today, I urged every person living in a bushfire-prone area to prepare themselves. What they do now, how they prepare now, can save their lives, the lives of their loved ones and the lives of those who volunteer to protect our communities. People are deluded if they think it can't happen to them. The reality is their luck will run out—it is not if, but when.

As part of the preparation this season, $7.3 million has been allocated to the CFS to have access to seven fixed-wing bombing aircraft, a high-volume bombing helicopter—that is, an Erickson Aircrane—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Sorry?

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Seventy per cent? The member for Bragg consistently interjects throughout question time.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: She was running on average at one every 58 seconds there for a while. One day—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —on 8 June, she hit an all-time record—one every 33 seconds.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order, member for Finniss.

Mr PENGILLY: The member for Bragg's interjections are entirely irrelevant to the question the minister was asked. She's a dill.

The SPEAKER: I'm not sure what your point of order was, but I would ask the minister to get back to the question.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I agree her interjections are irrelevant—but they are very constant.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Thank you, Madam Speaker; she was running at one every 27 seconds today. But, anyway, moving on, they will also have—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Perhaps one every 25 seconds.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my left will stop interjecting with the minister.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Norwood, behave!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Well, if you didn't say anything this time, you did before.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Father Christmas won't come with your behaviour.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Last week 91 interjections in question time, and a warning in the first four minutes. They will also have two medium volume bombing helicopters, three fixed-wing surveillance aircraft, one surveillance helicopter, as well as access to the state rescue helicopter. The CFS website and the bushfire information hotline are useful ways to gain advice on how to be ready, and, as I told the house last week, the CFS is also taking the lead with social media to get its message across through iPhone applications, Facebook and Twitter.

Operation Nomad is relaunched each year in conjunction with the fire danger season. Preventing and tackling deliberately lit fires is a SAPOL focus 365 days of the year. Police monitor those with a history or likelihood of lighting fires by visiting them at home and using automated number plate recognition to tell when they are driving through high risk areas. Operation Nomad is both a prevention and a cure strategy and has been recognised as a national leader in policing response to bushfires.

South Australia has the toughest penalties for bushfire arson with up to 20 years imprisonment for anyone convicted of this crime. Police will show zero tolerance for anyone involved in lighting fires and placing people and property at risk. Regardless of how long people get in prison, there is no automatic parole for people convicted of arson. No matter the capability of our fire agencies or the penalties, there can be no escaping that preparation falls on the individual. At this stage there is still time to be prepared.

Mr Gardner: Why don't you put up the Athelstone fire siren before fire season?

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta, order!

Mr Gardner: You promised us a fire siren in Athelstone; it's fire season today; where is it?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: It's done and dusted.

Mr Gardner: No it's not.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: It's been funded. I've signed off on it.

Mr Gardner: Excellent!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Thank you.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: It's all under control. It's done.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Bragg you are warned for the third time.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Well done, Madam Speaker.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Norwood!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left! We still have another 28 minutes of question time and you will behave. Minister.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. All they need to do is put the member for Bragg up at Athelstone. We don't need to invest in a fire siren. My call today is to every person living in a fire danger area to ensure they are prepared and they have a bushfire survival plan, and to get onto neighbours and friends to do the same.

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