Doorstop, Perth - ADF liaison officers deployed in NSW

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MINISTER REYNOLDS:

Well firstly, can I say, my condolences and that of the Government are with all of those who have been impacted by these horrific bushfires right across Australia. Our thoughts are with the families who’ve lost loved ones, who have lost their homes and also who have lost their businesses.

It is in these worst of times that we always see the best of Australians, and this is no different. I’m incredibly proud of the work by Australian Defence Force personnel from Army, Air Force and Navy, and what they have done for the last seven weeks in support of the volunteer and professional bushfire fighters and emergency services right across Australia, but particularly in New South Wales. So the Defence Force quietly, but also very persistently for the last seven weeks, has done what it does best – it’s been providing a wide range of logistical support. Everything from the Royal Australian Air Force providing transport for fire fighters right across this nation to where they are most needed to assist the local fire fighters; Navy has been providing their helicopters to do aerial reconnaissance, to do evacuations and many other tasks. They are also at HMAS Albatross supporting the operation of the civilian air fleet fighting the fires. And Army of course has been doing what Army does best – it’s been doing everything from helping with fire breaks, it’s been providing accommodation to hundreds of weary fire fighters, they have been providing hundreds of square meals a day to the firefighters. So I’m very proud of what our Defence Force has been doing as I know the Prime Minister is. But today, what the Federal Government has done is we have deployed 14 new liaison officers right across New South Wales, and we’ve done this with the support of the New South Wales Government.

These 14 individuals from Army and Air Force will be providing advice – specialist military advice – to Incident Controllers at the Fire Control Centres across New South Wales. So everywhere from Katoomba to Queanbeyan right across New South Wales they’ll be doing a number of things. We’re putting these liaison officers far forward from the normal headquarters, so that those on the ground – the Incident Controllers – have better access and understanding of the wide range of support that the Australian Defence Force can provide. But it’s also important for the ADF to have these liaison officers more forward so that we can get quicker access and understanding of what might be called upon for us.

So I’m delighted, and I thank the New South Wales Government for working with us on this, and they’re out on the ground today having a look at not just what we can provide over the coming days, which I know are still going to be quite challenging, but also to start having a look at recovery efforts in terms of what needs to be done to clear fire breaks etc.

So I’m very proud of our ADF members – Army, Air Force and Navy – and again I thank all of the emergency services personnel who have made them so welcome because as I said, it is in these times that we see the best of all Australians, because ultimately we are all in this together. 

Thank you.

JOURNALIST:

Darren Chester has said that payments or compensation needs to be considered for volunteer firefighters spending a considerable amount of time away from their workplaces, what do you think?

MINISTER REYNOLDS:

Well this is something that I’ve discussed again with the Prime Minister today – it is an issue that the Prime Minister is acutely conscious of and he has been discussing with the Premier of New South Wales, and other State and Territory leaders. We understand, the Prime Minister understands, that sometimes in circumstances like this volunteers go well beyond the leave that they have and come under financial strain. So the Prime Minister is looking at this issue further on how we can provide targeted support in these extreme circumstances so that our volunteers get the support they need to keep volunteering.

JOURNALIST:

How do you think State or Federal Governments should fund such compensation?

MINISTER REYNOLDS:

These are all matters that the Prime Minister is discussing with State and Territory leaders, and there are a number of options, but again I’m sure the Prime Minister will have more to say about this in the coming days. It is something that we are looking at as a Federal Government, in how we support our volunteers, so they can do what they do best, volunteer for their local communities.

JOURNALIST:

Darren Chester is preparing a policy paper on this, do think that’s a good idea?

MINISTER REYNOLDS:

Well I’ve seen what my colleague Darren Chester has had to say today. Darren Chester is the member for Gippsland, and Gippsland is no stranger unfortunately to fires like this. So he’s doing what he does very well, he’s consulting with his local community, as is the Prime Minister consulting with the Premier of New South Wales and others, because this is an important national discussion on how to support our volunteers to do what they do best when we’re in the worst of times.

JOURNALIST:

Does the ADF normally help in a bushfire crisis or is this a first because it is so dire at the moment?

MINISTER REYNOLDS:

The ADF has helped and does work regularly – as far back as Cyclone Tracey – so one of the things the Australian Defence Force is trained to do is provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, both here in Australia and also overseas. So we provide assistance regularly to bushfires where they’re beyond the capacity of State and Territory Governments to fully deal with them themselves, such as what we’re seeing at the moment. The Australian Defence Force also does incredible work when we suffer floods and also cyclones in this country, as we do for our neighbours in our region when they suffer these catastrophic natural disasters.

JOURNALIST:

Is the Defence Force considering or examining what more it could do in the future bushfire seasons given experts are warning they’re going to be longer and more intense.

MINISTER REYNOLDS:

The Australian Defence Force has for many decades supported the Australian community when they have these catastrophic natural disasters. So we have a wide range of support we can provide – while in this case our Defence Force members are not trained bushfire fighters, they are doing extraordinary work and they have for seven weeks behind the scenes providing engineering support, logistics, doing evacuations, providing three square meals a day for firefighters, accommodation, doing fire breaks. So they have, for seven weeks, been doing a lot behind the scenes. This is the purpose of today’s announcement – to provide 14 specialist liaison officers to work right across New South Wales on the fire fronts and to ensure that the local communities understand what more the ADF could be providing on request from the State and Territory Governments.

JOURNALIST:

What are you hearing from your people on the ground how have they described what it's been like?

MINISTER REYNOLDS:

I think it is very clear from what they have seen on the ground, what we have seen on footage on TV and also on radio, is that these are absolutely catastrophic bushfires, and the bravery of our professional firefighters, the police and other emergency services who have put their lives on the line to protect human life, to protect their property and also to protect the wildlife, is extraordinary. So our ADF members are seeing what everybody else is seeing and we are all just in awe of the effort of everybody involved. And as I said, as the Minister for Defence, I am particularly proud of the amazing work that our ADF members are doing and still doing today.

JOURNALIST:

Just back on volunteers, if fire seasons are going to be longer and more intense as is predicted do you think that this reliance on volunteers needs to be looked at?

MINISTER REYNOLDS:

Well as I said the, Prime Minister is very forward leaning on this issue. He’s been discussing it with the Premier of New South Wales and indeed other premiers and chief ministers, so they are discussing what more we can do to assist volunteers in these extreme circumstances where they have run out of leave and are under financial stress. So the question is for the Prime Minister. As I’ve said, he will be making a statement in coming days I’m sure, about what more we can do to assist these volunteers in these extreme circumstances.

JOURNALIST:

Paul Keating in 1994 offered payments, and then John Howard in 2002, why do you think it’s taken so long for this to be offered by your government when these are probably some of the worst bushfires that we’ve faced?

MINISTER REYNOLDS:

Well ultimately it is an issue for State and Territory Governments, but as I’ve said the Prime Minister is very forward leaning and is working closely with, at the moment with the Premier of New South Wales about what responses are required. But I think the example you gave demonstrates that these issues are not new and every Government considers the circumstances that are before them on the day as the two

Prime Ministers you cited, have done in previous times. So the Prime Minister will be having more to say on this in coming days but it’s really important that we find a tailored package that will work for the volunteers involved to help them in these extenuating circumstances, to fight these fires for the extended period of time.

JOURNALIST:

Minister, how long will members of the ADF have to wait for the Inspector

General’s report into Afghanistan to be completed.

MINISTER REYNOLDS:

Well the Inspector General’s ADF report into those matters is an independent enquiry, it is an inquiry into the most serious of matters and Justice Brereton has all the resources he needs to report when he is ready to report. As I say, it is an independent inquiry, as it should be.

JOURNALIST:

Do you expect it to be completed next year and do you expect much of it to be public?

MINISTER REYNOLDS:

Well as I said it’s within the purview of the Inspector General ADF to decide the timing of the report and I would expect yes, that once he has reported back to Defence and to Government, that the report will be public.

JOURNALIST:

When will a decision be made on shifting submarine maintenance work to WA?

MINISTER REYNOLDS:

Good try – as I’ve always said the Government is in active consideration about all aspects of our national shipbuilding plan and we will be making a decision in the near future on the location of full cycle docking. As I’ve said many times, it will be done in the national interest.

JOURNALIST:

What’s the delay?

MINISTER REYNOLDS:

There is no delay – the Government is deciding, and when we are ready to make the right decision we will make the right decision.

JOURNALIST:

How are WA’s chances looking?

MINISTER REYNOLDS:

Good try – as I have said it will be done in the national interest.

END