Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Chisholm for the question—and inform him that there's no 'H' in my name. But thank you very much. You raise a very important issue. Aerial firefighting plays an extraordinarily important role in protecting communities' essential infrastructure and providing the wider support that our bushfire fighters on the ground so importantly need. Also, the National Aerial Firefighting Centre is an effective method for the government to deliver critical emergency management capacity. I know that the commissioners and the chief fire officers within each jurisdiction work very closely with that centre to determine the type and location of aerial firefighting assets on the basis of the assessed bushfire risk.

This collaborative approach is absolutely essential right now as we enter into the bushfire season. We remain absolutely committed to supporting this important emergency management capability and we know that our aerial firefighters are integral to the safety of our communities as they fight fires and deliver important resources when and wherever a disaster might strike. In fact, we announced a permanent increase in funding of $11 million a year to the centre, taking the annual contributions to in excess of $25 million. Additionally, the government supplements the operating costs of aircraft through the disaster recovery funding arrangements with the states and territories.