Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the Telecommunications Amendment (Integrated Public Number Database) Bill 2009. A nationally consistent early warning system is certainly necessary. This was made very apparent to all Australians during the recent bushfires in Victoria. I take this opportunity to offer my deepest sympathy to the victims, their families and the communities that have been so badly affected. I also offer my sincere gratitude to every individual, group and volunteer who has in any way helped in fighting the bushfires, as well as those assisting each of the communities both during and since this crisis.

As a coalition, we support measures to do whatever it takes to assist communities to rebuild and recover but also to put in place preventive and management measures. A nationally consistent early warning system is just one part of this process. This bill amends the Telecommunications Act 1997 to allow access by an ‘emergency management person’, as authorised by the Attorney-General, to information contained in the Integrated Public Number Database. The IPND was established in 1998 to create a centralised, comprehensive database for use by the telecommunications industry and a limited number of other organisations with community protection functions. I understand that there are a number of technical issues that remain outstanding with the database itself, but the emergency agencies have argued that state and territory access to the IPND would provide greater flexibility for them to respond to emergency circumstances. It is time to move this early warning system process forward, with all levels of government involved.

People throughout my electorate in the south-west of Western Australia understand very well the threats and challenges of bushfires and the need for effective communications before, during and after the actual fires. We have had three serious bushfires in recent months: in Bridgetown, in the Dunsborough area and in the Balingup-Mullalyup area. The Bridgetown fires were by far the worst. Bridgetown is situated in the Darling Scarp and there are significant bushland reserves and plantations as well as farmlands there. Rugged, steep country provides extremely challenging terrain to fight bushfires. More than 6,000 hectares were burnt in the Bridgetown fires—5,126 hectares of private property, 1,764 hectares of pine and blue gum plantations and 713 hectares of reserve. Five homes were also burnt in Bridgetown townsite, as well as vehicles, sheds and farming equipment.

As in Victoria, significant numbers of local and regional groups, agencies and individuals were involved in fighting the fires and assisting the community following the devastation. Four hundred personnel in total, of which 150 were volunteers, were part of that process. Twelve local government authorities provided assistance and four water-bombers were deployed. Again, like Victoria, the local community worked vigorously to help itself and those most affected by this fire.

I recently attended a community concert to help raise funds for those who lost their homes—and this was not the community’s first major bushfire. Bridgetown held a community debriefing after the December 2003 Greenbushes-Bridgetown fires and they identified a range of improved processes and measures to manage any future bushfire threat. As you would expect, effective communications with the community were a priority then. One communication problem they experienced at that time was being able to provide early and constantly updated information. At the time, the emergency radio station was the ABC and that was networked out of Melbourne, and it was impossible to get messages to air.

Changes have been made since, but there was a problem again during the most recent fires in January this year, when the ABC was unable to broadcast on its regular frequency. Where community members were located at the time meant they could not receive current and updated information—critical information when you are in a fire or out on a property—relating to road closures and the progress and location of the fire as well as wind changes. The ABC was broadcasting on alternative frequencies every half hour, encouraging those who could hear the broadcast to contact their friends and relations in the fire affected areas to let them know of the change of frequency for that information. This certainly was a problem for many of my constituents, particularly as so many of them were unable to access mobile reception and landlines at the time were burnt or down.

Nannup’s ABC coverage comes from Karratha, which is 1,800 kilometres away. I presented a community petition to the parliament last year seeking transmission from the Bunbury ABC service. I was particularly disappointed at the department’s response, which effectively was that there are many towns like Nannup across Australia and, if the service to Nannup were upgraded, it would have to do so elsewhere. That showed a concerning lack of understanding of the problems in regional areas like those I represent in the south-west.

On 7 and 8 February, there was a bushfire in the Dunsborough area near Bunker Bay—115 hectares were burnt and 300 guests and 70 staff were evacuated, and the fire was controlled just 20 metres from the 105-year-old Cape Naturaliste lighthouse. Again, it was local volunteer firefighters on the front-line. On 14 February, the most recent bushfire occurred in the south-west in the Balingup-Ferndale area—the same rugged type of country—where 1,800 hectares of pine plantation were burnt, as well as private property and farming equipment. Again, 200 firefighters were involved, using heavy machines, tankers and water-bombers as part of the fire suppression effort.

We know that bushfires in the south-west will continue to be a threat and they will need to be managed by these local communities as well as local and state government agencies and bodies. The consistent issue, however, is the communications problem. Bridgetown, Nannup and Balingup have poor to no mobile coverage in certain areas. During the recent fires in Bridgetown, with the landlines burnt and limited 3G mobile reception available, the shire was told by the Telstra reps on site that Telstra would increase the power of the network signal during the fire to improve reception availability for affected residents and crews. The question put to me since by the community members was: if the signal can be increased in an emergency, why can’t it be available all of the time? Why can’t they have this service all of the time and why can’t they receive that early warning signal? That consistent access problem is an issue. We have had reports since that, during the time the signal was increased, people throughout the area who normally cannot and still cannot use the 3G network were able to do so. They also want to know why this service is not available all of the time. I was really pleased to hear the previous speaker mention the mobile tower option. That certainly could be an option in the future in this south-west area.

There has been a subsequent fire between Balingup and Nannup. Some residents on the Balingup-Nannup Road have to drive seven kilometres to find reception on any given day, let alone during a fire. During the actual fire, this put them at severe risk. I have had phone calls from badly affected local people who said they did not know whether they could get out or where the fire was. This is clearly a public safety issue. I am also told that Telstra may have negotiated an additional tower site in Bridgetown, but there are associated costs preventing this tower going ahead. I will continue to ask questions about this issue, particularly regarding public safety in this fire-prone area.

This demonstrates the need for effective, efficient and timely communications during emergency situations. It is a critical issue—a life-threatening issue. People in fire-prone areas can be totally isolated from critical information about the fire itself, about physical barriers and about constantly changing road closures. I note that a recent report in a regional newspaper indicated that the WA state government has indicated a likely increase in prescribed burning.

I support this bill, particularly as it is believed it will assist in managing emergency situations. As has been similarly mentioned here today, this is just one part of a comprehensive response to the bushfire threat in Australia.

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