Member for Murray-Wellington Murray Cowper – who has been lobbying state government for the formation of a fully independent rural fire service since the Waroona Yarloop Bushfires in January – has welcomed the State Government’s decision to adopt the 17 recommendations put forward by Euan Ferguson in his report into the January Waroona Yarloop bushfires, along with the Association of Volunteer Bushfire Brigades (AVBFB).
However, the support from both comes under the understanding the proposed Rural Fire Service will be fully independent from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
“Volunteers and rural communities will be pleased that the State has responded to their calls for major changes to the structure and operation of the bushfire control industry,” Mr Cowper said.
“There will also be support for the formation of multi-agency, incident management teams to deal with level 3 incidents, as a measure to improve cooperation and coordination between local and outside groups.
“However rural volunteers, local authorities and communities will remain anxious about the ‘consultation process’ that will decide the best model.”
AVBFB state president Dave Gossage said the news would be welcomed by a large swathe of Western Australia, specifically those threatened annually by bushfires.
“The Association, with the support of other rural and emergency services groups, and rural communities in general, has worked hard to convince the government to follow the Ferguson Inquiry recommendations as a way to improving the state’s bush fire management capability,” Mr Gossage said.
“We are pleased that the government recognised the need for major reform to overcome problems that have plagued our current bush fire management system in recent years resulting in major losses of property and tragically the loss of lives.”
Mr Gossage said certain recommendations – such as the creation of a rural fire service, but also a review of the Emergency Services Levy and provisions for extra fire protection measures – had been key points lobbied to the Government by the AVBFB.
Mr Cowper has stuck to his policy of basing the Rural Fire Service near Pinjarra, and ensuring it remains completely independent of already existing fire services.
“A Pinjarra-based headquarters has been nominated for the new fire service and it must enjoy true independence under the control of local volunteers and authorities – with access to adequate levy and other funding – to ensure that it will be successful,” he said.
“Local communities do not wish to see an ongoing dominance of the bushfire control system by the city-based, union-dominated status quo and will be seeking finality before the next State election.”
Mr Cowper said provisions for extra fire protection measures to be funded on crown land before the start of the season were particularly welcome, along with funding of $5.2 million for vehicle location and critical message systems and the issue of ID cards to DFES volunteers.
However he said the proposed review into the Emergency Services Levy was already overdue, and this would now need to accommodate the establishment and ongoing costs of the new Rural Fire Service.
