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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-02-12 Daily Xml
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METROPOLITAN FIRE SERVICE

The Hon. S.G. WADE (15:56): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Emergency Services a question about the Metropolitan Fire Service.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: A recent Productivity Commission report highlights that response times to structure fires under the Rann government have increased from 11 minutes to 14 minutes, the worst response time in the nation. In responding to the report, the United Firefighters Union commented that fire crews are waiting longer and longer for back-up crews, not helped by the government's stretching existing emergency services further and further. The latest example is the government's decision to relocate an appliance from Oakden, in the growing northern suburbs, in order to staff the new station in Beulah Park.

The United Firefighters Union has publicly expressed its opposition to the Rann government's decision to halve fire coverage in the Oakden-Northfield area to free up a crew to staff the new Beulah Park station. My questions are:

1. Will the minister advise the council of the response times in the area served by the Oakden station, and to what extent they have increased over recent years?

2. Will the minister advise whether the risk profiles of the area served by the Oakden station are considered to be relatively high compared with areas such as Beulah Park?

3. Will the minister assure the council that the government's decision to relocate an appliance from Oakden to Beulah Park reflects the relative needs of the two areas in terms of response times and risk profiles?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:57): I thank the honourable member for his question. I think it is important that we put the honourable member's question into some sort of context, because it is important to mention that we are about to head into an enterprise bargaining period, when the government will soon begin to negotiate with the union for a new agreement on the wages of firefighters in this state. It is clear that the UFU is trying to raise the profile of the union and use the media to create publicity around issues as leverage in that bargaining process.

When I became the Minister for Emergency Services, one of the very frequently stated claims that I heard was that the opposition, in its eight years, had gutted the MFS. There had been very few recruits under its watch; indeed, in some years there had been none. I would like to place on record that there have been 194 new recruits under this government, as well as a substantial increase in MFS funding. If my memory serves me correctly, it went from $74.5 million in 2002 to $97.9 million in 2007-08.

In relation to the Oakden crew, I am sure the opposition congratulates this government because, under this government, two new stations will be built at both Seaford and Paradise, and so we will go from 18 stations to 20 in this state. The Glynde station—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will come to order.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: As we all know, the Glynde Station is due for replacement and, as part of this government's commitment to upgrade our facilities, Beulah Park station is being developed. This is part of the comprehensive MFS emergency response network for the eastern suburbs.

As we all know, Beulah Park replaces the Glynde station and is scheduled to open in April this year. Paradise station is also being built as a new additional station. However, we have made an undertaking that the Glynde station will not be closed until Paradise station is completed next year. I am advised by the Chief Fire Officer that, as Beulah Park is the replacement station for Glynde, the crew from Glynde will be relocated to Beulah Park when the Beulah Park station is ready.

A crew from Oakden, which has two crews and two appliances, will be temporarily located to Glynde until it closes; the Glynde station will not close until Paradise is built. We are managing community safety here. When Glynde closes, a decision will be made at that time about the appropriate allocation of staff to Oakden and Paradise. The risk profile in those areas is changing and will be analysed when Glynde closes and Paradise opens.

Put simply, we are building an extra fire station at Paradise. There will be an additional fire station in the north-east, and the MFS staffing component is sufficient to adequately provide coverage.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: I have just reminded the honourable member opposite that we have put on 194 new recruits since coming to government. The honourable member would probably be very embarrassed to say how many crew were put on in the eight years the Liberals were in government.

It is certainly my advice that the Chief Officer of the MFS wrote to the UFU advising the union of his intention to relocate a crew from Oakden to Glynde on a temporary basis. I am also advised that the UFU did not respond to the Chief Officer at the time; unfortunately, the UFU has instead mounted a media campaign in relation to this issue. The Chief Officer of the MFS wrote to the UFU again asking for a response to his letter. Apparently, the UFU responded that it did not support the Chief Officer's position.

Unfortunately, rather than resolving this matter through the agreed industrial process, the UFU has continued to take the extraordinary step of advising the government via the media of its intention to take industrial action.

The government has not been formally advised by the UFU of this industrial action; instead, the government has been advised of this action via the UFU's comments in the media—and that situation is extremely disappointing. The government, recognising and, more importantly, valuing, the importance of industrial negotiation, has attempted to resolve this matter through the industrial process. Regrettably, the UFU has instead decided to act outside of the agreed parameters. As I have said, we are very disappointed that the UFU will not sit down with the government and bargain in good faith.

There is no lack of desire by this government to pursue this matter via the agreed industrial process, and I hope the union will come to the table and negotiate in good faith, rather than mounting a scare campaign via the media, which will do nothing to resolve the UFU's apparent dispute.

The Chief Officer, in attempting to negotiate with the UFU in good faith, arranged for a meeting of the single bargaining centre of the UFU to discuss the issue. The SBC, comprising of an independent facilitator and representatives of the union and MFS management, is designed to meet to discuss and resolve industrial issues.

I understand that a meeting of the single bargaining centre is being arranged and genuine attempts are being made to discuss this matter with the union. So, it is now up to the union to stop progressing this issue as a media issue and to deal with it by sitting down with the MFS management. I reiterate our commitment to the Metropolitan Fire Service, to building new stations, to 194—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: I will repeat that. Clearly the opposition spokesperson for emergency services is embarrassed. We have put on 194—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: —and it was going to cut public servants by 4,000. Not only was it going to cut public servants by 4,000, but I believe the number of recruits was not even worthy of mention under its eight years. We have put on 194 new recruits and also increased the funding of the MFS from $74.5 million to $97.9 million.

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