Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to update the House on a significant development in my home state of Western Australia—one that will re-establish a dedicated rural bushfire service. The most recent bushfire season was arguably the worst our state has ever seen. In my electorate of O'Connor, four people died last year when fires raged through the Esperance region. In the neighbouring electorate of Forrest, two people lost their lives and the town of Yarloop was all but reduced to rubble. Following the destruction in Yarloop, the state government launched an inquiry into bushfire management, led by respected former fire chief Euan Ferguson. Mr Ferguson made a series of recommendations that the state government has since adopted.

I strongly believe that drawing on local expertise is an integral part of effectively fighting bushfires. As a member of my local Carrolup Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade, I can attest to the knowledge these teams have of geography and conditions in their respective areas. Since January, I have been working with regional volunteer firefighters to ensure they will have input into future strategies. Last month, I introduced WA Premier Colin Barnett to some of the most experienced rural firefighters I know: John Iffla and Merv Austic, from the Emergency Services Volunteers Association, and Tom Brown, who led the volunteer effort in Esperance last year. They were able give the Premier a first-hand view of the needs of a volunteer organisation. I am pleased to see the state government acknowledge that a dedicated rural fire service requires a regionally based management structure. This will be a positive reform in Western Australia and it will help mitigate the risk of devastating fires in the future.