Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

As I was saying, with respect to the management of national parks, my understanding is—and I am happy to be corrected, Senator, and I will certainly take advice on this—that the management of national parks within New South Wales would be a matter for the New South Wales government. Obviously the federal government is working with the states. This includes the meeting of the ministerial council to which I referred which endorsed a new national framework for scaled advice and warnings, including a new fire danger rating of ‘catastrophic’—code red. Regrettably, we have already seen that warning level reached this year. The Bureau of Meteorology has incorporated this new rating into its bushfire, weather and warning systems and services. In fact, these ‘catastrophic’ fire danger warnings were issued in parts of South Australia and New South Wales just last week. The Commonwealth also provides direct assistance to states and territories, including under Australian emergency management arrangements— (Time expired)