Rural Fire Service

RURAL FIRE SERVICE
Page: 82

Mr RICHARD TORBAY (Northern Tablelands—Speaker) [6.33 p.m.]: I also welcome Professor Jim Barber to the Parliament and to the alumni function that is about to be held in the Strangers' Dining Room for the mighty University of New England. Today I want to talk about the Rural Fire Service. It is now almost 10 months since the Victorian bushfires resulted in the loss of 173 lives and destroyed more than 3,500 buildings. That disaster has since paved the way for changes in how we respond to bushfires. Those changes include significant advances in warning systems to keep the community informed and, more importantly, in a position to make informed decisions about their own actions during bushfires. Unfortunately, in parts of New South Wales, particularly in my electorate, the bushfire season has arrived earlier than normal this year. Firefighters and support crews from across the State have been kept busy during the recent weeks of extremely hot and dry weather.

In my electorate of Northern Tablelands firefighters from the Rural Fire Service, Forests New South Wales and the National Parks and Wildlife Service have fought fires burning in the Glen Innes, Torrington, Tenterfield, Gwydir and Inverell areas. In all, more than 14,000 hectares, or almost 35,000 acres of farmland and bush, have been burnt out in the past couple of weeks. Traditionally, the main fire danger season in the Northern Tablelands is during spring. The usual summer rainfall generally lessens the threat. However, I have witnessed firsthand and been told that without significant rainfall in coming weeks the Northern Tablelands is facing a far greater bushfire danger risk than in previous years. This week a break in the weather, with cooler temperatures and some showers, has reduced that threat, although firefighters remain on the ground at the Tungsten fire between Tenterfield and Torrington in the northern part of my electorate. They are doing their best to consolidate a fire that has burnt out more than 1,000 acres of farmland and bushland. If the weather conditions remain favourable for the next few days, the hardworking firefighters will be able to return to their normal lives.

The work undertaken by the mainly volunteer firefighting service in rural New South Wales cannot and should not be taken for granted. In the northern region alone there are almost 16,000 volunteers in 658 brigades across 31 districts looking after 157,000 square kilometres of property. They are incredible. They make themselves available for duty at any time. If they are needed to protect life and property they are there. That is why Government support is so vital in ensuring that these services continue. It is pleasing that the New South Wales Government this year provided a record amount of funding from the Rural Fire Fighting Fund to the Rural Fire Service, with $8.4 million being allocated to the Northern Tablelands. This has enabled Rural Fire Service brigades across the electorate to undertake station and equipment upgrades, complete training courses, purchase personal safety gear and undertake a range of other activities. Another benefit of this additional funding is the boost in morale that new equipment and better facilities can bring to the volunteers. It also lifts the profile of local Rural Fire Service units, adding to the enthusiasm of volunteers and attracting new recruits to their ranks.

This funding momentum should not be lost. I urge the Government to continue to give this vital rural service the resources needed to properly respond to the threat of bushfire. With the Victorian experience still fresh in our minds, we cannot afford to become complacent about fire protection. More than 70,000 volunteer members in New South Wales, 2,100 brigades in 143 rural fire districts, look after 95 per cent of our State, including 1,200 towns and villages. They are never complacent. New South Wales is fortunate to have one of the best firefighting teams in the world. We are leading the way with the use of technology to keep the community informed and safe. Tremendous leaps have been made in advancing warning systems for bushfire danger. The Rural Fire Service has even embraced Twitter to get the message out. The use of aircraft also has a significant impact on how fires are fought. They are being used to a greater extent and provide valuable support, particularly in knocking down fires and giving ground crews a better chance of putting the fire to bed.

I acknowledge the hard work being undertaken by the Rural Fire Service and other government agencies throughout the State, in particular, the men and women in the Gwydir, New England and Northern Tablelands teams. In recent weeks they have toiled in temperatures of between 30 and 40 degrees protecting life and property from fires in Glen Innes, Torrington, Tingha, Bingara and Inverell. As we head toward the one-year anniversary of the Victorian bushfires, I hope that the lessons learnt in the aftermath of that disaster ensure that those brave people who keep others safe remain a funding priority of the Government.