Ms BADGER – Minister, we’ve had some contact from a few SES volunteers who volunteer in the remote area search capacity of the SES. We’d all be aware there’s an increasing number of bushwalking rescues and things like that, requiring volunteer support as well as professional support. Volunteers are reporting having to buy appropriate equipment off their own back. Obviously, some of the vegetation they’re going through is prone to ripping clothing and things they would generally be using. We’re going to see these rescues increasing into the future. Where’s the additional funding going to come from to make sure we can maintain the volunteers, and that they’re not out of pocket? We’re going to need more volunteers into the future with more extreme weather events as well.
Mr ELLIS – Thanks, Ms Badger, and a big thank you to our search and rescue teams, the SES volunteers you mentioned, and of course, Police, Ambulance Tasmania, Surf Life Saving Tasmania and others. They’ve been recognised globally on the back of some recent work, and I think that’s really encouraging. All Tasmanians can be very, very proud of the work and the capability that we have.
I will pass over to the commissioner and the team to add further.
Mr SMITH – Thank you, minister, and through you. There are a couple of initiatives that are currently underway. One is that our personal protective clothing committee is looking at new protective equipment for our volunteers, both TFS and SES, and also the volunteer infrastructure fund. I might throw to Mick Lowe, who has carriage of the SES operations.
Mr Mick LOWE – Through you, minister. Yes, we have three really capable search and rescue units across the state: one in the north, one in the north-west and one in the south. Equipping them is a real focus at the moment. We’re in the process of rolling out a new suite of equipment to them. In fact, we just had the recent clothing equipment committee, where that was ratified. We’re matching that clothing based on the type and the requirement that’s come from Tasmania Police, who lead search and rescue from an organisational perspective. So, we’re pretty confident that will suit most of their requirements. As they identify any additional requirement –
CHAIR – The time for scrutiny has finished, unfortunately, halfway through an answer.
I’d like to thank the minister and those who appeared before the committee. To let everybody know, the next committee will be with the Minister for Skills and Jobs and will start at 12.15 p.m.
