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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-10-14 Daily Xml
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MATTERS OF INTEREST

BUSHFIRES

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:26): South Australia faces, potentially, the worst bushfire season on record. I rise today to speak not only of the tragedy that unfolded in Victoria earlier this year but also that which struck our state nearly 27 years ago.

We live in the driest inhabited state and on the driest continent in the world and we face these perils every year. However, this year we will face them with a set of clear guidelines on how to protect life and property.

As everyone is well aware, the extreme conditions surrounding the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires saw devastation on an unprecedented scale. Tragically, 173 people were killed and it was described as the worst national disaster in Australia's history. That tragic day reminded all of us of the power that a firestorm can wield and how vulnerable we are in its fury. This is the reality that is, unfortunately, all too familiar to the people of this state.

At this time I would like to take a moment to remember the 75 people (28 of whom were South Australians) who tragically lost their lives in the worst natural disaster ever seen in this state, the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires. I will give a brief account of the intensity of the fires on 16 February 1983 that tore through the Yarrabee Road/Greenhill Road area of the Adelaide Hills. In that area on that day five people, including one child, sadly perished.

Within the space of about 15 minutes, at least four fire fronts crossed Greenhill Road, the worst being described by one witness as a sheet or a fireball. That one front was a fireball big enough to engulf 10 houses on the eastern side of Yarrabee Road. An observer on the roof of the old Queen Victoria Hospital said that the Adelaide Hills were literally exploding.

One can only imagine the intense heat and lack of oxygen, the darkness, the terrifying and deafening roar of the fire. For those lucky enough to have survived such an ordeal, the psychological impact undoubtedly remains forever. Our state and, indeed, our country has a history of deadly bushfires, and far too many lives have already been lost in these events.

The magnitude of the devastation that unfolded in Victoria on 7 February 2009 again ruthlessly brought this fact into perspective. In response, the review that was already being undertaken by the Australian Fire and Emergency Services Authority Council entitled 'Bushfires and community safety position', which incorporated the 'stay and defend or go' policy was brought sharply into focus. An alternative policy of 'Prepare. Act. Survive' was finally chosen as it was agreed that the former policy (often reduced to simply 'stay or go') misrepresented the factors and the dangers that the community needed to take into account when faced with bushfire risk.

Clearly, the safety of the community is paramount when addressing the issues surrounding bushfires in this country. The new national framework acknowledges this and has, therefore, incorporated detailed descriptors and messaging to ensure that the community is as best informed as possible. Additionally, there has also been a revision of the fire danger rating scale, bringing with it more detail on fire behaviour and impact potential, as well as instructions to the community.

Lastly, I cannot speak on such matters without taking the time to acknowledge the incredible work and dedication of the South Australian Country Fire Service. I take the opportunity to congratulate the 7,947 members of the CFS who will be receiving the new CFS Service Medal in the coming months. I also join the Hon. Michael Wright, Minister for Emergency Services in another place, and the CFS chief officer, Euan Ferguson, in saying that it is an absolute pleasure to be able to officially recognise the valuable contribution these volunteers have made to this state over many years.

Time expired.

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