Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Emergency Management, Senator Watt. Minister, the National Emergency Management Agency's website claims it has boots on the ground across Australia through the network of regional recovery support officers that help recovery and resilience in communities affected by disasters or drought. There are currently, according to the website, 57 regions throughout Australia with locally based regional support officers and there are videos supporting the value of the local knowledge. Do you as minister or does the agency have any plans to relocate these locally based staff from regional areas into city centres or centralised hubs?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Davey. I know very well about the great work that our RSOs, as we call them, in the NEMA, the National Emergency Management Agency, undertake, because I have met many of them, right across the country. In fact, just on Friday, I think it was, I was in Tasmania at Agfest, where I also met some of the terrific RSOs that have been doing a great job. I had met them after the floods in Tasmania, as I have in many other places.

My view is that we do need to retain a strong regional presence of those RSOs. I know there has been some discussion internally within the National Emergency Management Agency, but the agency and its executive are very clear that my view as minister is that the RSOs do perform an important role, including in regional areas. They are an important conduit of information back to head office, and that's one of the reasons why I support their ongoing use. Obviously there are decisions to be made by the National Emergency Management Agency as to how they use their resources, and that work will go on. But, as I say, I have made it very clear that on a personal level as minister I think that it is important that we retain a regional presence through those RSOs.

While I'm on my feet I might also mention that the entire issue of resourcing the National Emergency Management Agency has been a difficult one in the run-up to this budget, because this is yet another area of government where we have inherited funding cliffs. In fact, the former coalition government cared so much about having RSOs and a regional presence and support for our Emergency Management Agency that they were on track to cut funding to the National Emergency Management Agency by around 25 to 30 per cent. That's how much they cared about supporting our RSOs and our agency, and I can assure people that this government takes these issues much more seriously. (Time expired)

Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very interested that you believe in the need to maintain a regional presence. Can you then explain why several of my colleagues, including me, have been contacted by RSOs in their regions who have been told that they will be relocated to city based centres or to centralised hubs within 12 months? Is there any truth in their concerns?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Davey. As I say, my personal view has been communicated very clearly to the National Emergency Management Agency that I think it is vital that we retain the regional presence of these recovery support officers, because that is where many of the disasters that we've seen over the last couple of years have occurred—they've been in our regions—and we want to ensure that we do have people on the ground.

As I say, there is work to be done by NEMA about how best to allocate its resources. One of the reasons they've been forced to do this is the funding cuts that were on track to happen as a result of the budget that we inherited from the former government. So I find it a little hard to listen to National Party senators who all of a sudden are very concerned about resourcing for the National Emergency Management Agency when one of their own was the minister who delivered a budget that was going to cut funding to the National Emergency Management Agency by 25 to 30 per cent. We support regional Australians and we support urban Australians going through disasters. We're not about cutting funding like you lot did. (Time expired)

Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So, very briefly, Minister, you have said it's your personal view that RSOs should stay in the regions. Will you be having a conversation with the CEO of NEMA to reflect to him your personal view to ensure that regional support officers stay in the regions and aren't re-centralised hundreds of kilometres away from where they are needed and valued?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've already said in my first answer and my second answer that I have communicated my view about this, and that includes to the coordinator-general of the National Emergency Management Agency, Mr Brendan Moon, someone with an incredible track record in emergency management that we hired to replace another individual, called Mr Shane Stone. Brendan Moon has been doing an outstanding job as the head of the National Emergency Management Agency. Now, unlike the former government—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Davey?

Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order—that was highly disrespectful to a former commissioner. He may not be a member of this parliament, but I think we still need to show respect.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did not hear any particular comments, so I'm going to ask Senator Watt to continue.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I invite you to look at the Hansard, where I said that Mr Moon replaced another individual, by the name of Mr Shane Stone. I'm not sure what's offensive about that. Is it 'individual', 'name'? I'm not quite sure, but anyway. This government has demonstrated from day one that we take the issues around disaster management far more seriously than ever happened under the former government. We actually showed up, we actually turned up, and delivered support to people. We actually cooperated with the states rather than had fights with them. And we are taking seriously the need for funding of the National Emergency Management Agency, unlike a government that was on track to cut funding by 25 to 30 per cent.