Wednesday, 27 November 2024

Emergency management

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:21): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. On 9 June 2023 the deputy secretary of Emergency Management Victoria said:

… as recently as last week, have now gone out to market to bring on a delivery partner for the delivery of the next-generation CAD system.

On 20 November 2024, just last week, the old CAD system broke down, forcing operators to use pen and pencil. The next day the deputy secretary of emergency management again told the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee:

We are now very close to appointing that vendor, and we expect for that to be in the coming weeks – that we are able to announce the appointment of the vendor.

With fire season starting this week, when can Victorians expect the new call and dispatch system?

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:22): I thank Mr Mulholland for his question. We refer to the C-A-D system as the CAD system. As you have outlined, we have been out for tender for delivery agencies and development of a next-generation CAD. The commercial arrangements in the project – I can reaffirm the information that you provided to the house – are in the final stages. It is a major contract; it is a brand new system. It will be more reliable, more secure and faster to ensure the very best service for Victoria. Once the tender is appointed, I will make announcements in relation to that. In relation to when it will be finished and built, that will take some time. We will ensure that the existing CAD system continues to receive updates and is functioning whilst the new one comes in, and in fact we will keep the old one on board while the new one comes in to make sure that we have got additional contingencies et cetera –

Evan Mulholland: Have some pens and paper handy as well just in case.

Jaclyn SYMES: to avoid having to revert to manual workarounds, correct. Having more contingencies is the right thing to do, and it provides greater certainty to the community. I am not shying away from ensuring that we have got as many backups as we can. That would be an appropriate use of government resources. I will have more to say very soon in relation to the commercial arrangements for the new CAD.

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:24): I thank the Minister for Emergency Services for her answer. When the deputy secretary was asked in June 2023:

Are we expecting to have a new system for Victoria in two years time?

her response was:

The delivery of the next-generation CAD is over the sort of forward years in terms of how that funding is provided through the budget.

Minister, is there money in the budget to immediately install a new CAD system, or will Victorians have to wait for another budget cycle?

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:25): Thank you, Mr Mulholland. We have allocated the funding; I have confirmed that through PAEC processes. You would appreciate that I have been unable to talk about the amounts because of commercial in confidence, wanting to get the best price possible for the system, so the answer to your question is yes.