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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-11-12 Daily Xml
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Firefighters, Interstate Deployment

Ms LUETHEN (King) (14:31): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Can the minister update the house on the emergency services support South Australia is providing to New South Wales?

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:32): I thank the member for King for her interest in this. Those opposite may not care, but the member for King does.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: She is a great advocate for CFS groups in her local region, and also she would be very aware of what South Australia is doing to help New South Wales in their devastating time of need.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: the member implied improper motives on members opposite, saying that we do not care about bushfire responses in other states. It's disgraceful. He should withdraw and apologise.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order: at least half a dozen opposition members gesticulated verbally and loudly when the minister was asked a question. That behaviour was disorderly.

The SPEAKER: I remind members that we do have students in the gallery today watching us. I ask for decorum in this house to lift. What I would also ask is for commentary between the questions and the answers, which came from my left, to cease. Not that it is an excuse, but it may have perhaps thrown the minister off a little bit. I ask him to come back to the substance of the question. He knows better. Do we still require a point of order?

Ms BEDFORD: Point of order: I am keen to know whether the minister includes the crossbench in 'those opposite'.

The SPEAKER: Which is exactly why the standing orders exist. I ask the minister not to reflect on other members perhaps in his answer. Let's come back to it, minister.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Again, I would like to reiterate my thanks to the member for King for her concern on such a serious matter here. I think everyone has seen what has been happening in New South Wales and the devastation that they have been experiencing. It is wonderful that South Australia can play its part in helping out the country in such a devastating time of need.

We have seen the catastrophic conditions across New South Wales. We know it's the first time since the fire danger rating system included 'catastrophic' back in 2009 that they are experiencing these conditions. We know the New South Wales Premier has declared a week-long state of emergency in New South Wales, with up to 60 bushfires burning from the mid-north up to the Queensland border.

We know in South Australia—again, the member for King is very conscious of this—how difficult days do arise here. We are not immune to that. Again, I acknowledge the CFS troops and all the troops who helped out yesterday with the stubble fire in Port Lincoln—and what a great job they did there as well. We do stand united with New South Wales and our counterparts over there in their time of need and during these tragic circumstances. As I mentioned, three people have died over in New South Wales and our hearts go out to their families.

South Australia has been providing a number of deployments. The Premier talked about how on Saturday morning he was there farewelling 34 people heading over from the CFS, the MFS and the Department for Environment and Water to Port Macquarie. I can inform the house that yesterday this crew was deployed to Killabakh, to the fire there, in order to prepare for the catastrophic conditions today.

This morning, a further strike team of 37 left Adelaide Airport and 66 volunteers and staff will head to Armidale tomorrow. It was a pleasure to be there at the Airport farewelling these people. As we mentioned, the CFS, MFS and SAAS are all working together here and all the people from the Department for Environment and Water as well—working together as a team. With the reports that are coming back from interstate about how well they are contributing, we should all be very proud here in this very chamber and right across the state of South Australian firefighters and the team members there.

In addition to this, on Saturday morning South Australia sent 10 CFS appliances, four bulk water carriers, two command cars, two logistics cars and one mechanical support vehicle. They left from Tailem Bend again to go and help with the fires. Brenton Eden from the CFS made a comment something like this when they left: 'When a state is in need, we fight the fire we have got, we prepare for the one we haven't got and we hope like hell we don't get any of these conditions here in South Australia.' I think everyone would agree with that.

The convoy is expected to arrive in Glen Innes for the fire, to hit the ground there on Tuesday evening, ready to assist. I can reassure South Australians that we have 13,000 volunteers here in South Australia and just over 830 firefighting vehicles on stand-by should a significant bushfire take place here, so we have plenty of resources back here in South Australia. The ground fire in New South Wales is vast and it's devastating, with more than one million hectares either burnt or burning as we speak, and they are some of the worst conditions the state has ever seen.

We do want to commend our women and our men who are heading into a dangerous situation, but I know that New South Wales will help us out if we have the need as well. Let's hope that isn't needed. Again, I say to all our brave volunteers and the firefighters who have gone over to help out: stay safe, we thank you for your service and I look forward to you returning home safely and having a beer with you when you do.

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