SERPENTINE COMPLEX BUSHFIRE
1464. Hon Dr BRIAN WALKER to the Minister for Emergency Services:
We enter what threatens to be a long
and dangerous bushfire season.
(1) Will the
minister join me in thanking all those firefighters involved in tackling the
blaze in Serpentine over the past week, which threatened homes and businesses
at the very heart of my electorate?
(2) As fires
continue to burn elsewhere in the state, will he take this opportunity to
reiterate the Cook government's
support for the emergency services volunteers who make this level of service
and community support possible, alongside their full-time colleagues?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
Can I thank Hon Dr Brian Walker for
an amazing question.
(1)–(2) As
Minister for Emergency Services, I will, of course, join the member and thank
all firefighters and emergency services personnel who have been involved in the
response to the Serpentine complex, which is the fire he referred to.
The
Serpentine complex involved over 95 emergency services brigades, groups and
units in response to a complex incident that involved seven separate
fires within multiple local governments. All our Department of Fire and Emergency Services emergency services personnel do
an amazing job, but I want to highlight the work of members of local
government volunteer bush fire brigades, members of the Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services, the volunteer fire emergency
services, and members of the State Emergency Service.
The Department of Biodiversity,
Conservation and Attractions firefighters and rangers played a crucial role not
just in the Serpentine complex, but also right across WA during the high-threat
season. I would also like to thank the many staff and personnel from local
governments and shires, especially the chief bushfire control officers and
community emergency services managers, as well as the many other non-government
volunteer groups like the Salvation Army emergency response group.
Of course, our career firefighters
also do an amazing job, and over the past few weeks, they have been drafted to
help fight fires in the regions. I am very grateful to them for their work,
too.