Page 3149 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 24 August 2005
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that. That problem was brought to my attention by Blue Gum and I have responded to them. The answer to Dr Foskey is that we take our responsibilities very seriously.
Disaster planning
MR PRATT: All very impressive spin, Chief Minister. My question, getting past the spin and to the facts of the issues about—
MR SPEAKER: Who is the question to?
MR PRATT: My question is to the Chief Minister, Mr Stanhope. Chief Minister, a comment from your office in the Canberra Times today says:
On Monday the ACT SES was tasked to take over responsibility for much of the day-to-day management and upkeep of the evacuation strategy.
However, an email that was sent by the SES chief officer on Monday, 22 August advised commanders that the ESA commissioner, Peter Dunn, made it clear to the SES that, “The ACTSES is to take the lead role in the development of plans, the identification of sites and possibly the development and delivery of training as appropriate.”
Chief Minister, why are you misleading the public by stating that we have terrorist threat evacuation plans when all we have to rely on are old individual building fire evacuation plans? When will you have the overarching terrorist threat evacuation plans drawn up and promulgated to the public?
MR STANHOPE: Mr Speaker, I just answered that question. The ACT Emergencies Act 2004 and the ACT emergency plan and evacuation strategy—and I invite Mr Pratt to listen this time—all combine to provide a high level of preparedness to effectively manage evacuations in the ACT. The development of partnerships with the community provides a greater capacity—
Mrs Dunne: Where is the plan?
MR STANHOPE: This is what we are doing. We are developing partnerships, Mr Pratt, with the community to provide a greater capacity to manage complex situations to enable the emergency services to better deal with a specific incident. Its strength lies in the shared knowledge of all the hazards—
Mr Smyth: But you said we had the best plan in the country.
MR STANHOPE: shared responsibilities and provision of reliable and timely information—
MR SPEAKER: Order! Chief Minister, would you resume you seat, please. Mr Smyth, I have called you to order three or four times today. I warn you.
MR STANHOPE: The approach provides the required flexibility and adaptability when dealing with major incidents with the assistance of the SES and the fire brigade and ensures that effective incident action plans—
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