An Allanson volunteer firefighter has spoken out against the announcement of a $80 million Rural Fire Division.
The WA Government announced last Friday that they will be creating a Rural Fire Division within the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
The new division aims to help improve fire management, increase mitigation and strengthen relations with the State’s bushfire volunteers.
Following the announcement Emergency Services minister Francis Logan, Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Darren Klemm, Rural Fire Division executive director Murray Carter and Association of Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades president Dave Gossage visited Collie to discuss the news.
Allanson volunteer firefighter Jeffrey Rowland was at the meeting and questioned why the division would remain under DFES compared to rural brigades becoming self sufficient.
“Nothing appears to be done to allow rural areas to be self sufficient in protecting its communities properly, for example being able to purchase their own firefighter equipment or make their own decisions which would be suitable for the areas they reside in,” he said.
He also said the announcement did not follow what was in the Ferguson Report.
“The Ferguson report which was the investigation into the disastrous fires at Yarloop and surrounding areas are being totally ignored,” Mr Rowland said.
The Euan Ferguson report was an investigation into the Waroona and Yarloop bushfires that engulfed the town killing two people in January 2016.
The report recommended that either an independent rural fire service or a division at DFES should be created.
Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said at the meeting that they decided to go with option two and didn’t ignore the recommendation from the report.
“Now the decisions by the Government is that, and probably gone a bit further than a sub department, is to create a fire division within DFES,” Mr Klemm said.
He said they decided against a separate rural fire service because ‘rural people can’t afford that in Western Australia’, especially ‘around the size of our state’.
The government also announced $34.6 million will be used to increase funding for bushfire mitigation and $15 million will be extended to the Bushfire Risk Management Plans program.
An additional $18 million will be used to setup an Australian-first Bushfire Centre of Excellence.
Emergency Services minister Francis Logan said the centre would be an opportunity for volunteer and career fire fighters to undertake more training and bushfire management.
“We have listened and put in place a division that recognises the input and expertise of our volunteers, but will also harness the best in bushfire management,” he said.
The Shire of Collie welcomed the money for mitigation and management programs but were disappointed with the Bushfire Centre of Excellence not being located in Collie.
Shire of Collie President Sarah Stanley said having the centre in a bushfire prone area would mean less travel time and reduce time taken to get on-the-ground support in the event of a major incident.
“If you were to draw a circle around the most bushfire prone areas in Western Australia, Collie is in the dead centre of that circle,” Cr Stanley said.
She said not having the centre in Collie would waste funding. Minister Logan said during the visit on Sunday that a location had not been decided on.
“More of this precious funding will be wasted in staff time, accommodation and travel expenses instead of spending it where it is needed most,” Cr Stanley said.
Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray said he would also like to see the centre located in Collie.
“I put a strong case forward for the Bushfire Centre of Excellence to be located in Collie, such is the town’s proximity to the bushfire-prone areas of the South West,” Mr Murray said.
“The decision of where the facility is ultimately located is in the hands of the fire and emergency services minister.”
