Media statement
February 11, 2022
Tania Maxwell MP has asked Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes when the government expects cross-border emergency services will be able to communicate seamlessly in a disaster.
The Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party Member for Northern Victoria told Parliament this week that incompatible emergency services radio networks between Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia made communication between border fire brigades “near impossible”.
“In 2004, the Council of Australian Governments’ National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management supported the alignment of emergency services’ communications between the states,” Ms Maxwell said.
“The 2020 Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements report notes that little progress has been made in the 17 years since then.
“The former Walwa CFA captain (David Hanna) recently noted that after 45 years in the CFA the communication systems remain incompatible and requests for basic upgrades to equipment and facilities have been ignored.
“Lack of action on this issue is, frankly, dangerous for residents in border communities and hampers the tactical capacity of local emergency services.
“So, my question is, will the government commit to a time line and finally sort this out?”
Beechworth CFA captain Bruce Forrest, in evidence to the 2020 royal commission following the ‘Black Summer’ bushfires, said: “The Murray River is between you (and NSW Rural Fire Service brigades) but, bar getting out a waving, there’s not really much you can do”.
Legislative Council standing orders require questions to be answered within 14 days.
In a separate question, Ms Maxwell asked Ms Symes when the Country Fire Authority’s Wangaratta’s district 23 will again have an operating incident control centre.
Ms Maxwell said Wangaratta had “currently no dedicated Country Fire Authority incident control centre within the city boundary”.
“The CFA district 23 headquarters building, which also hosts the Emergency Management Victoria Wangaratta incident control centre, had to be evacuated late last year due to damp and mould, and the district 23 leadership team needs a new premises to meet its needs,” she said.
“Senior CFA volunteers have raised with me their significant concerns that the Wangaratta incident control centre has been offline for the 2021–22 fire danger period.
“The 16 CFA brigades of the Wangaratta group have no permanent facility in Wangaratta at all to date.
“What assurances can you provide, Minister, to the Wangaratta district 23 area that these issues will be urgently addressed?”
Ms Symes answered that she was “aware of the issues”.
“We have some meetings just this week to further discuss these matters,” the minister said.
“You have written to me, and so have many of the brigades. I have met with them in person.
“Most of them, as I said, I have a longstanding relationship with, so this is ongoing work.
“But I am not in a position to give you any further information in relation to funding or the like. It is an ongoing matter that I am very well across.”
