Tuesday, 30 May 2023

 Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:32): (157) My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Minister, the 2023 ROGS – that is, Report on Government Services ‍– data shows a significant drop in the proportion of answered calls to ESTA in a time equal to or less than the standard 10 seconds. I might add it is 5 seconds in the annual report. In 2019–20, 94.4 per cent of calls to ESTA were being answered in a time equal to or less than 10 seconds despite COVID hitting our shores in the last quarter. In 2021 calls to ESTA in that time frame of equal to or less than 10 seconds had an understandable decline to 88.9 per cent. What is not understandable is that in 2021–22 the figure is 65.6 per cent of calls to ESTA being answered in a time equal to or less than 10 seconds, despite the promises made by your government and the money being thrown at it. Minister, what has gone wrong?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:33): I thank Ms Hermans for her question, a similar question to what we had regularly in the last term. ESTA met its benchmark each month prior to the pandemic, and its benchmark is 90 per cent of calls in 5 seconds each year. They had been doing that since 2013 till the pandemic hit. As I think you articulated, the other states’ benchmark is 10 seconds. Victoria has the highest standard in the country, and we were meeting that every month until the pandemic hit. I am pleased to report that as part of the investment, as part of the support for that organisation and as part of the recovery for ESTA from the pandemic they have been again meeting that benchmark – in fact smashing that benchmark – for the past more than six months.

In relation to the efforts of ESTA, those workers go to work every day to answer calls to help Victorians. That is their motivation; that is why they get out of bed. They love helping people. Through the support, through the additional call takers and the additional focus on the call-taking activities following the pandemic, which led to the dip in the call-taking answer speed – and I am certainly on the record for apologising to anyone that had to wait longer than 5 seconds – I am absolutely confident, Ms Hermans, that that organisation is a fantastic organisation that is meeting its benchmarks, and proudly so.

Ann-Marie Hermans: On a point of order, President, the question was in relation to the 2021–22 figure of 65.6 per cent. I do not feel that that was addressed appropriately.

The PRESIDENT: I will make a determination at the end of question time as to whether the minister has been responsive. But on the point of order, I can answer now. I believe the minister was being responsive to the question.

 Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:35): The supplementary question is: Minister, obviously it is not working. Victorians are being let down in the first step of a call to an emergency service. How and when are you going to fix it?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:35): Ms Hermans, I pull you up on your misinformation. The data that you were quoting was 2021–22, ending 30 June, correct? We are now in 2023, and what I am telling you is that for the past eight months ESTA call takers have been beating their benchmarks of more than 90 per cent of calls in 5 seconds. We have had some days that are 98 per cent, 99 per cent. So to suggest that the community is not receiving a service, I am telling you, is misleading the community. I am continually on the public record. The IGEM has confirmed the benchmarks are being met, and so have the staff at ESTA. They are answering calls beyond the benchmark right now, so to suggest that they are not and sending a message to the community that there is a problem with ESTA is really poor form.