Isobel Redmond, Leader of the Opposition today committed an extra $13 million to the Country Fire Service and the State Emergency Services.

 

Launching the SA Liberals’ Emergency Services Policy in Stirling, Ms Redmond said that South Australia’s 17,000 emergency services volunteers and staff are the everyday heroes of our community and must be provided with funding to enable them to protect the community.

 

“Fires and other natural disasters are a reality and constant threat in SA as is the sad fact of road accidents; it is to the emergency services personnel and volunteers that we turn when confronted with these disasters, expecting them to protect and rescue us, our property and our communities,” Ms Redmond said.

 

“Since 2005, frontline services have had only a seven per cent increase in funding yet  the Rann Government’s central bureaucracy – the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission – has had a 30 per cent increase in funding to employ more bureaucrats  – they have had the wrong priorities.

 

“It is a damning indictment of the Rann Labor Government that over the past eight years many emergency services units have been hampered by inadequate funding.

 

“The lack of funds to provide frontline resources has impacted on the services in many ways, often resulting in disgruntled and disillusioned volunteers leaving.

 

“CFS volunteer numbers have fallen from 17,000 in 2002 to only 15,000 today.

 

A  Redmond Liberal Government will:
• Provide an additional $13 million over 4 years to the CFS & SES.  This will provide additional frontline resources for the protection of our community.
• Ensure valuable frontline resources are not diverted to unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Negotiate with all media outlets, including commercial and regional TV, to communicate emergency messages
• Maintain the CFS, MFS and SES as three distinct services.
• Lobby the Commonwealth Government to allow out-of-pocket expenses as a tax deduction for emergency services volunteers.
• Re-instate siren networks at CFS stations and strategic infrastructure around the
state.