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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-03-08 Daily Xml
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Port Augusta Country Cabinet

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (15:25): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Can the minister update the council about his recent visit to Port Augusta and the northern Flinders Ranges?

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The honourable Leader of the Government, please refrain from talking; the minister has the floor.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:25): Thank you, Mr President, and I would also like to thank the honourable member for her question. I know she cares very deeply about the safety of South Australians. The Hon. Ms Gago herself has done a lot of work paying attention to the safety of South Australians. I know she also cares deeply about the regions, so I am very grateful for her question.

I recently had the pleasure of joining the Premier and my cabinet colleagues in attending country cabinet in the northern part of our state, namely, in Port Augusta and the northern Flinders Ranges. I have to say that it was an absolute privilege to be able to get out and meet face to face with community leaders, businesses and local citizens. It is incredibly important, and a region within our state that has an enormous degree of potential.

Whilst I was visiting the CFS unit in Quorn I was pleased to announce the $470,000 in funding for the 2016-17 Regional Capability Community Fund. As members who are interested in the work we do in emergency services in our regions would be aware and may recall, the Regional Capability Community Fund is a fantastic program designed to assist individuals and organisations in our rural and regional areas with purchasing equipment used to respond to local emergencies, particularly bushfires.

This follows a very strong response to last year's program, which was heavily oversubscribed, with over 1,000 applications received. Last year, of those 1,000 applications, 144 applicants were successful, which helped deliver 88 mobile firefighting units, 28 bulk water storage tanks and high-volume water pumps, as well as safety equipment, including protective clothing. This year, the government has sought to extend the reach of the fund by offering grants on the basis of a co-contribution. Successful applicants will be able to claim half the price of approved purchases, up to a maximum of $2,500.

By allocating funds in this way we aim to double the reach of the fund. Whilst the stellar work of our paid and volunteer firefighters is recognised across the country, it is often private landowners who find themselves in the front line as first responders, and this is particularly true for our rural and regional areas. This is yet another strong example of the government's commitment to our regions, and in particular in building the capability of our regional areas to respond to emergencies.

Grants are opening next week, Tuesday 15 March, and will be open until the end of the month on Thursday 31 March. Approvals are set to be announced in June, along with successful applicants to be prepared ahead of the 2016-17 fire danger season. I encourage members to help spread the word to those in our rural regional communities. Those interested in seeking to apply, or who are looking for further information, should visit the SAFECOM website at www.safecom.sa.gov.au.

The community should also be aware that the provision of items, such as mobile firefighting units, does not in any way place an obligation on those people who possess them to put themselves in an unnecessarily risky position. As a government, we want to make sure that those people who are willing, after receiving appropriate training, to be able to provide an additional front-line resource to those that are already provided within our official emergency services sector, can have a capacity to do so with some appropriate equipment.

Rest assured, Mr President, that I, as minister, have made inquiries to ensure that those people who are successful applicants and do get equipment are undertaking the appropriate training in order to be able to provide a capacity in a way that is safe, or as safe as possible, in what would otherwise be a difficult situation.

I would encourage all members of the community, but particularly those people within our regions, to put their hand up and make an application for what is an important opportunity to acquire important equipment that could be very useful in an emergency situation.

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