Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and on behalf of Senators Williams and Milne, move:

That the Senate:

(a)

notes that:

(i)

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientists have warned that Australia will experience more high fire danger days,

(ii)

three Australian states are on high fire danger alert and record high temperatures are being recorded for November 2009 in several Australian cities and towns including Adelaide,

(iii)

a government report in 2005 said that no single state or territory is likely to have the human and material resources required to resolve a catastrophic natural event; and

(b)

calls on the Government to:

(i)

acknowledge the Australian Emergency Management Committee’s 2005 Review of Australia’s ability to respond to and recover from catastrophic disasters,

(ii)

examine the existing Commonwealth Disaster Plan to assess its adequacy in the event of a catastrophic natural disaster,

(iii)

establish criteria by which the Commonwealth should take a coordinating role in natural disasters crossing state or territory borders, and

(iv)

implement the remaining recommendations of the 2005 review.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—The Commonwealth has worked tirelessly with the states and territories to bolster their preparedness for this bushfire season. States and territories have primary responsibility for dealing with natural disasters. This is consistent with the historical and constitutional responsibilities of state governments.

Operationally, state and territory emergency services organisations have good links and good understanding of local needs and conditions. It would be inappropriate and impractical for the Commonwealth to take a coordinating role in deploying state and territory assets for dealing with natural disasters. The states and territories have established command and control systems for deploying their assets in response to natural disasters.

The 2000 review of catastrophic disasters report considers arrangements for the possibility of dealing with a major catastrophic natural disaster which would overwhelm the ability of the Australian states and territories to respond. The Commonwealth is addressing key recommendations relevant to it, and is working with the states and territories through the officials’ level Australian Emergency Management Committee to address the remaining recommendations.

With adequacy of current arrangements for dealing with catastrophic natural disasters, the Commonwealth stands ready to assist the states and territories to respond to natural disasters. For example, the Commonwealth has made Air Force bases available for New South Wales to support aerial firefighting in the current New South Wales bushfires. The Commonwealth Government Disaster Response Plan, known as COMDISPLAN, describes the coordination arrangements for the provision of Australian government physical assistance to states, territories or offshore territories in the event of a disaster.

The meeting of the Ministerial Council of Police and Emergency Management on 20 November 2009, chaired by the Attorney-General, has now endorsed a national catastrophic disaster plan for submission to COAG. The plan describes the national coordination arrangements for supporting states and territories and the Commonwealth in responding to and recovering from catastrophic natural disasters in Australia. The plan is important to help government responses to the possibility of a catastrophic disaster which overwhelms the ability of a state or territory to respond. This is the first time that such a plan has been agreed to in Australia. It meets key recommendations of the 2005 review.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I note the government’s response, but I draw to the attention of the Senate the fact that there was a report in 2005 on Australia’s readiness to deal with a catastrophic event or disaster. That report showed that Australia was not ready and that the states did not have the capability. It was suppressed by the Howard government, then suppressed by the Rudd government and it only came to light as the result of an FOI request because of the media.

As a response to it, Minister Gillard wrote to the states in March this year, asking them to do an audit and to provide to her a response before this year’s bushfire season as to their readiness to address a bushfire. They did not do it and they still have not done it. It was deferred until COAG, after which we have already had fires burning in several states across Australia in the last few weeks—the bushfire season is already underway.

If Australia had to rely on COAG to have this nation ready for a catastrophic event, then we should be frightened. The likelihood of them ever getting their act together through the COAG process to have us ready for a catastrophic event is pretty remote. I think it is incumbent on the Senate to take a much greater interest in the lack of preparedness around the country, and the need for far better Commonwealth involvement and leadership on this issue and not just leave it to the states. I think that, especially, events across state boundaries are matters of considerable interest. I urge the Senate to support this motion.

Question agreed to.

Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—While the government opposes this motion, we recognise that the majority opposition and Greens together make the outcome of a division a certain one in favour of the motion, so we will not be calling a division.