Wednesday, 28 August 2024

Ministers statements: emergency services

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:10): I am sure that everyone has paid some attention and noticed there have been some pretty wild and windy weather conditions over the past few days. On Sunday Victorians were alerted to strong wind and storms across the state, and many of us would have seen photos of the golf ball sized hail in Bendigo – Mrs Broad might have seen that in person. Since then VICSES has received and responded to over 500 requests for assistance. The past few days are just another example of our emergency services – VICSES, FRV, CFA, Victoria Police and Forest Fire Management Victoria – working together to keep Victorians safe. I want to thank all of the volunteers and staff who have been at the state control centre, on the ground cutting down trees or sending out the emergency warning alerts to our phones.

A testament to the strength of our emergency services is that we have crews on deployment in Canada supporting the emergency services with wildfire season. At the height of their season they had 800 out-of-control blazes. The emergency services sector across the world works as one in a crisis, and I am extremely proud of the nine CFA personnel who were deployed to North America and the 72 staff and volunteers who have been deployed since mid-August. Each year of course climate change creates new risks, extending the length of seasons and potentially elevating the severity of when fire, flood or storms occur. It means we need to plan carefully but also support our neighbours when needed, and they return the favour.

I know that there will be a lot of interest around the preparedness of our emergency services in anticipation of the summer season. I want to reassure the house that I will be updating this place on our summer preparedness measures as well as providing members with a briefing with the emergency management commissioner Rick Nugent over the coming weeks. For now I want to say thank you to all of our emergency services staff and volunteers for their work so far, and of course that continues today until the weather eases tonight.