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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-09-16 Daily Xml
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Emergency Services

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light—Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:13): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: Today, I have the great pleasure of launching 'A Safer Community' discussion paper. The paper is the culmination of 20 roundtable discussions that I have facilitated throughout suburban and regional South Australia over the past three months which have involved volunteers, volunteer associations, paid staff and unions. What has been clearly expressed by a number of participants during this process is that there are opportunities for reform in the sector. This could be achieved—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Bragg is called to order. Minister.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: —by improving the way in which we support our front-line services, both volunteer and paid, by streamlining and reducing duplication of common corporate activities, such as administration, training and procurement, whilst redirecting resources back into front-line services and reducing red tape.

This discussion paper takes into account and sets out a proposal for a new way for South Australia's fire, emergency and rescue services to work together in serving the community. The discussion paper outlines a model where front-line services would operate as they do now, but with one organisation created from the regional level up to a single chief officer with the overall responsibility and accountability for the sector.

I have committed to maintaining our current front-line services. They are an integral part of our local communities. Volunteers and paid workers take pride in wearing their uniform and protecting their community, with honour boards at stations often showing generations of service. If this model is supported, a two-stage process will be used to implement the revised structure, with non-operational services integrating in July 2015 and operational management integrating in mid-2016. This staging is deliberate, as the sector needs to remain operational while the reforms are rolled out.

It is important to stress that there is no intention through this process to diminish front-line services, and it is envisaged that the service delivery to the community will continue as it does today. Similarly, this process is not a cost-saving exercise but, rather, about ensuring the sector is structured in the best possible way to help save lives and reduce the personal trauma and hardship that accompany severe emergency events whilst ensuring that volunteers and staff on the ground have the skills, equipment, facilities and support they need. All savings will be reinvested in the sector. The discussion paper is available to download at the SAFECOM website. I have requested that comments on the paper be received in my office no later than 5pm, Friday 24 October 2014.

In closing, throughout this process I have interacted with in excess of 1,500 volunteers and staff from across the state, as well as members of this chamber, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank each one of them for their contributions so far. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the constructive contribution made by the CFS Volunteer Association, the SES Volunteer Association, the UFU and the PSA. I look forward to people's comments in the next stage of this reform process.

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