Tuesday, 28 October 2025

 Danny O’BRIEN (Gippsland South) (14:47): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. I ask her to explain to my constituents how the fire danger period is set by the CFA. We have recently had new fire danger periods set, and I have a number of constituents from South Gippsland who are concerned that they are already in the fire danger period as of Monday this week – yesterday. There has been quite a wet and very windy period, and many farmers are concerned that they have not been able to undertake fuel reduction burning and to clean up fallen trees and limbs. They are perplexed as to why South Gippsland is already under restrictions but Bass Coast, right next door, where it has been pretty dry too, is not. Certainly it has been dry. I understand that the CFA have a process, including talking to their local brigades about current conditions, but my constituents would appreciate a better explanation of how the process works and who makes the decisions.