SENATOR PERIN DAVEY
DEPUTY LEADER OF THE NATIONALS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR WATER
SHADOW MINISTER FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
SENATOR FOR NEW SOUTH WALES
SENATOR THE HON LINDA REYNOLDS CSC
SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS LEAD BUSHFIRE PREPAREDNESS
Local Governments are increasingly working to be prepared for natural disasters ahead of high-risk seasons as was highlighted to Shadow Emergency Management Minister, Perin Davey and local Senator Linda Reynolds during a tour of the Shire of Mundaring.
Mundaring Shire President Paige McNeil welcomed the Senators and provided a tour of two Volunteer Bushfire Brigade sheds, Parkerville and Stoneville, one in need of upgrades and one that had benefitted from the former Coalition Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Funds program.
Shed upgrades included fit-for-purpose change rooms, showers and toilets and equipment bays built to fit the latest fire appliances.
“In this day and age, when we need as many volunteers as possible, it is vitally important that we have the facilities to support both men and women,’ Senator Davey said.
“Just as we need to make women feel welcome to play sport and provide adequate community facilities, we also need to make women welcome to volunteer and where possible, we need to provide appropriate facilities.
The Senators visited the new Stoneville station where previously women had to change in the engine room. They also visited Parkerville Bushfire Station, an old station and viewed the draft plans for an upgrade that will also see them able to fit their modern trucks. It was a disgrace to see that both men and women still had to change in the same room – with the fire truck.
Another project where the Mundaring Shire is preparing for the bushfire season is the purchase and installation of a new generator at the Mundaring Arena which services the area as an evacuation centre.
“Power is one of the first things to go during a natural disaster event and the Council have identified this as a core need for their community,” Senator Reynolds said.
“Just as they did with using their LRCI funding for their community, they have seen a need and applied for funding under the Disaster Ready Fund for the generator and were lucky to get it.
“That project, along with the City of Kalamunda’s project to install electronic Fire Disaster Rating signage in their area will improve the bushfire preparedness of the region,” she said.
ENDS