Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I can advise the Senate that as at 3 February some 69 fires remain active and 43 are currently uncontained or uncontrolled. Across Tasmania it is estimated that some 102,700 hectares have been burnt, which includes approximately 18,464 hectares of the Tasmanian World Heritage area. However—and I heard Senator Colbeck's comments before about not overstating this—it is important to state that that is approximately 1.16 per cent of the Tasmanian World Heritage area. If Senator McKim cares about tourism to his home state, it is very important, of course, to emphasise to people that the Tasmanian World Heritage areas are overwhelmingly intact and open for business. The Minister for the Environment has spoken with the Tasmanian minister, Mr Groom, about the bushfires and the action being taken by the Tasmanian government. As is appropriate and customary, Minister Keenan in the Commonwealth and Emergency Management Australia have been closely engaged from the outset.

Contrary to what the senator had to say, the Commonwealth responded immediately to the emergency and has been supporting Tasmania the entire time. The Australian government is providing $14.8 million nationally annually to increase aerial firefighting capability and the Prime Minister has already offered another half million dollars to extend this capability. All the states and territories, as well as New Zealand, have provided assistance in relation to these fires. Some 148 interstate and New Zealand firefighters have been operating throughout the state. In addition, 150 remote area firefighting specialists have been deployed by the Tasmania Fire Service, the Parks and Wildlife Service and Forestry Tasmania. (Time expired)