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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-10-18 Daily Xml
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Bushfire Preparedness

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland) (14:41): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. How can the community better prepare for bushfires this fire danger season?

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Health, Minister Assisting the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse) (14:41): I thank the member for Newland for his question and once again for his interest in bushfire preparation this season.

Members will be aware that from last Sunday two regions, the north-east and north-west pastoral districts, became the first in our state to enter the fire danger season. Yesterday, the CFS gazetted dates for another 10 districts across our state for their fire danger season. From 1 November this year, the Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Flinders, Mid North, Riverland, West Coast and Yorke Peninsula regions will enter their fire danger season.

From 15 November the Murraylands and the Upper South-East will enter their fire danger season and from 22 November the Lower South-East will enter its fire danger season. Three of those regions—Yorke Peninsula, Mid North and Riverland—are entering their fire danger season two weeks earlier than last year. That shows a particularly early risk in those regions and certainly with the hot weather today you will understand some of the reasoning behind that. There are three regions still to be declared, including the Adelaide Mount Lofty districts, which is expected to be declared on 1 December, but that still could be changed, depending on the situation.

We have seen a big boost to CFS operations, with 10 new trucks rolling out. We demonstrated them on the weekend and they look fantastic. The government is spending $3.5 million delivering them across South Australia. This is thanks to a state government budget measure of $9.3 million over four years to accelerate the fire truck replacement program and also fund the retrofit of trucks with burn-over technology, including water spray, deluge systems and in-cab breathing systems.

While we are preparing our emergency services, and while we enter into this fire danger season, we do put the reminder out to communities across the state that it is a shared responsibility and that we need communities, local households and businesses to do their preparations as we enter this season. We are putting out the call for people to make or update their bushfire survival plan to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Unfortunately, there is a misconception among parts of the community that they do not need a bushfire survival plan because they do not live in a rural area. However, with major bushfires that we have seen over two of the last three years, such as Sampson Flat and Pinery, approaching densely populated areas, residents on the fringe and peri-urban locations should not feel that just because they live in what looks like a suburban area they will not be impacted by bushfire or that they don't need to properly prepare.

Research that we had by McGregor Tan last year demonstrated that only 56 per cent of at-risk people are aware that they live in a bushfire-prone area. Of particular concern was that only 32 per cent of people living in bushfire areas have a bushfire action plan.

It's important for all South Australians to consider road travel as well through high-risk areas during heightened days of bushfire risk. Thankfully, making a bushfire survival plan has never been easier thanks to the five-minute bushfire plan, which is available on the Country Fire Service website. This is a simple step-by-step process that will guide decisions on whether to leave early or stay and defend, as well as providing a handy checklist on important items like photographs, medicines and arrangements for your pets as well.

Once completed, you will be able to save a digital copy to your phone or smart device and share it with family members and loved ones. The five-minute specific plan started last year as a soft launch and we are rolling it out across the state in a heavily promoted way this year. Already, 2,000 people have completed the five-minute bushfire survival plan, but we are hoping tens of thousands will do that this year. There is also an additional benefit this year in that the Bureau of Meteorology have spent money to roll out a four-day bushfire forecast, which will be of use for people across the state as well. I encourage everybody to look at the CFS website and make sure they are prepared.

The SPEAKER: Member for Finniss. Don't tell me your seat is vulnerable to NXT also?

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