South Australia’s Fire and Emergency services sector is set to benefit from $1.8 million funding boost to expand Country Fire Service and Volunteer Marine Rescue fleets, extend fire-ground radio communications and develop an emergency call centre training facility for the sector.
Minister for Emergency Services, Michael Wright, last week announced that the funding provision, which will help fund five initiatives, have been sourced from the Community Emergency Services Fund.
“Each year there is a contingency allocated, which allows for access to emergency funds for major incidents and other requirements that can arise,” Minister Wright said.
“While the 08/09 bushfire danger season saw periods of extreme fire risk for South Australia, prevention strategies and early coordinated intervention, greatly assisted in preventing and containing major incidents.
“As a result, only $647,000 from the Fund has been accessed to cover the costs of extending the use of aerial fire-fighting over the past summer, allowing $1.8 million to now deliver several new initiatives and accelerate on the schedule,” said Minister Wright.
The $1.8 million will fund the following:
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$1.050 million to the SA Country Fire Service to enable the delivery of five additional bulk water carriers to ferry water to fire-fighting trucks on the fire ground
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$448,000 to the SA Metropolitan Fire Service to establish communications training facilities
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$140,000 to the Victor Harbor-Goolwa Sea Rescue Squadron for the purchase of an amphibious craft
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$50,000 to the MFS, CFS and SES for condition audits of stations
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$60,000 to the CFS for VHF radios to improve fire ground communications with third party plant operators as per recommendations from the Wangary Coronial Inquest.
Chief Executive of the SA Fire and Emergency Services Commission, David Place, welcomed the announcement.
“This funding will assist our staff and volunteers be better prepared to deliver the services required to respond when incidents occur,” said Mr Place.
The State Government has increased emergency services expenditure from $208.6 million in 2007/08 to $218 million in 2008/09.
In addition to the contingency funding, $12.9 million is being spent during 2008/09 on around 40 fire appliances across the emergency services sector and $11.7 million is being invested in constructing new emergency services facilities, including the MFS station at Paradise and the joint CFS/SES/Forestry SA Emergency Services Centre in Mt Gambier. |
