No. 49

$1.6 million to address Coronial recommendations

The ACT Government will continue to implement the agreed outstanding recommendations from the Coronial Inquiry into the January 2003 bushfires, with $1.6 million in funding provided in the 2007-08 Budget 

Minister for Police and Emergency Services Simon Corbell today announced $1.597 million over four years would be provided for a range of initiatives put forward by the Coroner.

“I announced back in February that the ACT Government was well under way with implementing the agreed recommendations made by the Coroner just before Christmas last year,” he said.

“In the response I confirmed that the Government agreed with 61 of the 73 recommendations with 51 either implemented or partially implemented since 2003. Now we are increasing this positive result with funding for a number of the outstanding recommendations.”

These include:
•	Training for Remote Area Firefighting Teams;
•	Incident control system training;
•	Driver training for RFS firefighters who operate 4WD and Heavy Tankers;
•	Reviewing the 10-year ACT Strategic Bushfire Management Plan;
•	Preparation of Sub Regional Fire Management Plans;
•	Field survey verification and mapping of non-Government assets;
•	Reprinting the ACT Operational Atlas developed after January 2003;
•	Preparation of all hazards risk planning map products; and
•	Monitoring and review of the implementation of the agreed Coronial recommendations by the ACT Bushfire Council.

“As the Government has already stated it is committed to the continued improvement of emergency services in the ACT, including the implementation of the agreed recommendations,” Mr Corbell said.

“The Government has asked the ACT Bushfire Council to undertake the important task of monitoring implementation progress and has allocated $152,000 in the 2007-08 Budget for this task over the next two years. The ACT Government has now allocated more than $100 million extra in the past three years for recovery and improving its response and services in the wake of the 2003 bushfires to ensure the Territory is ready to deal with a major emergency in the future.”