Wednesday, 9 February 2022

Bushfire preparedness

Ms LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (12:12): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Victoria has no active night-time aerial firefighting capability as the state enters its highest risk bushfire period. In a move that has left frustrated firefighters fuming, Australia’s aviation regulator has confirmed that the state’s application for night water-bombing operations is still being assessed, having only recently been lodged. An Emergency Management Victoria spokesperson told the Herald Sun:

Night firebombing remains on track to be trialled in February pending CASA approval …

Minister, why is this only a trial when your press release prior to the summer trumpeted Victoria’s night fire aviation capabilities?

Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:13): I thank Ms Lovell for her question. At the outset you commenced your question with ‘Victoria has no active night firefighting capabilities’. It is true. Australia does not have any active night-time fire aerial capabilities, and it is here in Victoria that we are leading the charge.

We have an amazing aerial fleet here in Victoria, with up to 30 pieces of aircraft. I went and visited some large air tankers in Avalon during January to listen to the pilots. I was there with Andrew Crisp, emergency management commissioner, to learn about the capabilities that they have, including water capabilities and how much they can carry, and it is pretty amazing what they have done with the aircraft there. It is true that for the first time we have the Chinook here in Victoria. It is Victoria’s largest and highest capacity helicopter, and it is operating in Victoria for the first summertime season. This is a pretty phenomenal piece of equipment for those that are interested in big things that fly in the air. I am pretty sure Mr Gordon Rich-Phillips would probably be quite interested in this and know a little bit more about Chinooks than I do. But this is a fantastic piece of equipment that will continue to supplement our aerial fleet.

It is true that the night fire aviation program trial continues. We lodged the paperwork with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in October, and we hope that that will be available soon. In the meantime we will continue to trial throughout February as usual, pending this approval. I am very proud of the firefighters on the ground. What this fleet enables us to do is provide particular additional support for them through being able to reach hard-to-reach circumstances or indeed provide massive amounts of water on fire, which is the most effective way of reducing fire. I hope that that CASA approval will come soon, because the Chinook will be able to fly at night—that is what one of its assets will be—but in the meantime it can still continue to assist firefighters in the event of an emergency, pending that approval.

Ms LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (12:15): Minister, in your answer you just told us that Victoria does not have any night firefighting capability—in fact you said Australia does not—so then why did your press release prior to summer trumpet Victoria’s night fire aviation capability?

Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:16): The capability is there. We just have to wait for the paperwork. For me to communicate what a Chinook can do is really, really important. I think that this is going to be an amazing asset, and to date we have not had the need for night-time aerial bombing, thankfully. When we have got the equipment there, I hope it does not have to go in the air at all. That is actually the best outcome. But I know that with the hardworking efforts of the people that control our aircraft—as I have said, there are 50 that are available—we are well prepared for this continuing fire season in 2022.