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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-02-09 Daily Xml
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KEEPING SAFE IN EMERGENCIES GUIDE

Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (15:30): Before I start the main purpose of my remarks today, I wish to endorse the remarks made by the member for Bright about the importance of the upgrade of the southern railway line. Just to add to her remarks, the one issue that has been raised by my constituents is that of access to disability services when the bus services replace the trains. I want to remind people that, indeed, you can always arrange to have a disability access bus provided for your journey if you give 24 hours notice to the bus company. I know that is not totally convenient for everybody, but during this period of important upgrades, everybody is doing their best to provide a convenient service for the many commuters who use this railway line.

My main purpose today is to congratulate the Minister for Families and Communities on the issue of the Keeping Safe in Emergencies guide. I was very interested when this arrived in my office and immediately thought, 'This is Jennifer all over.' While I recognise that many agencies have participated in the preparation of this guide, and many more agencies have participated in the distribution of it, I think we can thank the minister directly for this sort of sensible, down-to-earth initiative.

The acknowledgements for funding include the Australian government, the government of South Australia, the MFS, the CFS and the SES. It was developed by the Department for Families and Communities State Recovery Office and supported by many other government departments.

This guide is not meant to take the place of the important bushfire prevention plans, flood plans, etc., that people who are at risk need. It is targeted at people who are in some ways vulnerable through age, frailty or disability, because these are the people who will find it most difficult in any emergency, including extreme heat, to deal with the circumstances.

It is incredibly practical and I turn first to the part relating to flood. We have all been devastated to see the horrible experiences of the people in Queensland and I extend my sympathies to all those affected, particularly to those who lost somebody or were severely injured during those amazing times. We saw lots of activity there in preparing for a flood, but something I did not see was that before a flood we are advised to put sandbags in the toilet bowl and over all laundry and bathroom drain holes to prevent sewage backflow.

Mr Pengilly: And the snakes coming up.

Ms THOMPSON: The other issue that took my attention, as the member for Finniss pointed out, is 'When flood water rises, it is common for spiders, snakes, rats and mice to move inside—check for unwanted visitors.' I think the only omission is that it does not say in your emergency pack, 'Have a good club and a can of Mortein handy.' I don't know that Mortein will do much good for the rats and mice, I think the club is what you might need there.

These guides are very, very sensible. For instance, before a flood you need to be prepared. Listen to ABC local radio so you can monitor flood warnings. Do you know the frequency? Have you completed your FloodSafe plan? Where is it? As flood approaches, I need to move important documents and items to higher levels. Where will I put them? Where is my emergency kit? Have I switched off electricity, gas and water? Where are the meters and the switchboard located—electricity, gas, water? Where is the highest part of the building for me to shelter in? If I need to evacuate, where will I go? How will I get there? When will I go?

I think we all know that, when an emergency hits, some of us need to be reassured; we do not always think clearly. Having this guide in its envelope on the fridge is an excellent way to go. Congratulations to all.

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