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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-11-18 Daily Xml
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Fire Management Plans

The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN (14:46): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation a question about fire management plans.

Leave granted.

The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN: In the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources' annual report for the year 2012-13, it was reported that comprehensive risk-based fire management plans continue to be developed, with a total of 14 plans adopted since 2004, and that these plans cover approximately 49 per cent of reserves managed by the department the state. According to the department's website, as at 17 November this year there are still only 14 fire management plans adopted to date. My questions to the minister are:

1. Why have there not been any additional comprehensive risk fire-based management plans adopted since June 2013?

2. Are there any other fire management plans currently being developed?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:47): I thank the honourable member for his most important question and his perspicacity in these very important areas of fire management.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Perspicacity—it's been used in this chamber before.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I might have used it last year, but it is not a word that readily jumps to mind when you are talking about the Liberal opposition frontbench—but come down through the back tier, and Jing Lee and Mr Lachlan—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Get on with the answer—stop wasting time.

The PRESIDENT: Will the honourable member just sit and listen to the answer.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: They are showing by their very intelligent questions that they have an interest in stepping up to higher office, and I congratulate them for that ambition. I would welcome them being opposition frontbenchers for a long time to come.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Ridgway!

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The fire management activities of the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources extend across lands under my care and control as Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation. This includes land under the National Parks and Wildlife Act, the Wilderness Protection Act and the Crown Lands Management Act. These lands cover about 23 per cent of the state.

The department also supports the South Australian Country Fire Service in response to bushfire events by providing experience and trained incident management personnel, firefighters and equipment. The department provides the CFS with experience and trained incident management personnel. The department is playing an increasingly important role in supporting the CFS at bushfire incidents, particularly those of a prolonged nature. The department's involvement plays a very important role in reducing the burden upon CFS volunteers, helping them to return to their local communities and resume normal activities sooner.

We have a brigade, the largest I think of the CFS, of about 520-odd members, comprising 358 firefighters and 90 firefighting appliances and support staff. The Department for Environment, Water and Natural Resources prepares comprehensive fire management plans for public land, designed to provide strategic direction for fire management activities.

As the honourable member said, 14 fire management plans have been adopted across the state, covering approximately 49 per cent of parks and reserves managed by the department, and a further six fire management plans are currently being developed, I am advised. These plans will cover the South Para area, the Mount Lofty Ranges, the Central Eyre Peninsula, the Northern Flinders Ranges, the Dudley Peninsula on Kangaroo Island, the River Murray corridor and the AW (Alinytjara Wilurara) region in the Far North West of the state.

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