Page 719 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 19 March 2019

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I have also asked the ESA to explore the types of incidents our aerial capabilities are despatched to. The number of kilometres on the odometer in aerial capabilities borrowed from other jurisdictions indicates that they are using these valuable pieces of equipment in far fewer circumstances than we are here in the ACT. Other measures in relation to monitoring and compliance in their use will also be put in place to ensure that these two new valuable community safety assets are able to operate at their maximum capability on a more regular basis.

I want to give special thanks to the staff within the ESA workshop, who go above and beyond to keep the Bronto in service. They are dedicated staff who are a credit to the ESA and to all Canberrans. Once again, thank you. I would also like to thank all the firefighters of the ACT, both paid and volunteer, who contribute to keeping Canberra safe. Our firefighters are some of the most highly skilled in the country, which is why we are approached almost every year to travel overseas to the US and Canada to assist with their disasters.

Data published in the Report on government services, or ROGS, demonstrates that the ACT is consistently amongst the leading performers nationally in relation to ambulance services, fire and other events. This is a credit to the ESA and all its personnel. ROGS data also demonstrate that the ACT is one of the most well funded, well resourced and well equipped in the country in relation to emergency services.

The procurement of these two aerial appliances is another example of the government’s commitment to investing in emergency services in the ACT. Continued investment in proposed reforms to the ESA comms centre will further improve emergency responses, as with the ESA’s station upgrade and relocation program, or SURP, which has already delivered our emergency service personnel with state-of-the-art facilities that are the envy of most jurisdictions in Australia. The strategic location and design of these important facilities allow for faster response times, which has a direct impact on community safety and ensures that Canberra remains one of the safest communities in the world to live.

In closing, the community can continue to have full confidence in the capability and quality of the emergency services that are delivered by its front-line personnel on a daily basis. The community can also be confident that the front-line personnel who deliver these services are extremely well supported by the government in terms of resources and equipment. The procurement of these two new aerial appliances is simply another example of this commitment to public safety. I present the following paper:

ACT Fire and Rescue—Aerial Capability—Ministerial Statement.

I move:

That the Assembly take note of the paper.

MRS JONES (Murrumbidgee) (12.06): As the minister has outlined, last month firefighters with extinguishers on their backs had to trek up 12 storeys of a building


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