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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-06-19 Daily Xml
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EMERGENCY SERVICES CENTRE, PORT LINCOLN

The Hon. C.V. SCHAEFER (14:56): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Emergency Services a question about the emergency services centre at Port Lincoln.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C.V. SCHAEFER: Earlier this month, it was brought to my attention in the local press that the council had withdrawn its support for the MFS, CFS and SES centre, which was to be on land at Kirton Point. Council still supports the centre but at a different location. The Chief Executive of Port Lincoln council, Mr Geoff Dodd, is quoted as saying that the state government is not offering any compensation for the land, which has been controlled and developed by council. He said:

Basically, they can't just ride roughshod over councils, and there may be a bit of a precedent here with ramifications wider than Port Lincoln that, if there are sporting and recreation grounds that councils do look after which are crown land, can the government step in and take them back whenever they see fit for their purpose? I think that communities should certainly be taken into account.

In a letter of reply to the council, the state's Fire and Emergency Services Commission states that there is no statutory entitlement for any community compensation. My questions are:

1. What new site has the minister or her department decided on for this badly needed facility?

2. Does she agree that, although there may be no statutory entitlement, there is a moral obligation to compensate communities that have cared for crown land for generations?

3. What is she going to do about it?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:58): The issue of building a new emergency services centre for Port Lincoln has gone on for very many years. Certainly, the government has made its intentions clear for quite some time. The site to which the honourable member refers, where the new emergency services centre will be built, is currently vacant and comprises old asphalt tennis courts that are in a state of disrepair. The site is overgrown with weeds and littered with rubble. As recently as December last year the government was advised that the council supported the use of this land. It is crown land, and it has been rededicated to me by the minister (Hon. Gail Gago). I do not need to emphasise in this place how important the new emergency services precinct is for Port Lincoln, and ensuring the best delivery of emergency services to the Port Lincoln community in the future.

As I said this morning when I was asked a question on radio, the crown land is there for the use of people. We are talking about a piece of disused crown land on which we are building a state-of-the-art emergency services community centre. We are not taking from the community: we are actually giving back to the community, and it is a very important piece of infrastructure for Port Lincoln.

The coronial inquest actually made a comment that, at the moment, emergency services are being delivered in very difficult circumstances. This is something that we recognise, and we have recognised it for several years. We have had ongoing discussions for several years. My priority always is to community safety. Again, this government wants to provide the community of Port Lincoln with a top-class emergency services facility. That has always been the plan, and we have been consulting for many years. So, it is disappointing at this stage to see that compensation is sought for what is, as I said, crown land which is being used for the community.

Certainly, the need to rededicate crown land on a regular basis occurs in emergency services because, in the past, for historical reasons, because the SES and the CFS are community-based agencies, often they have been on crown land under the care of council. So, this is really not at all unusual. I reiterate that this discussion, this debate, has gone on for many years, and my concern is always to see a safer community. I believe that is my duty of care.

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