Preparing the State for the threat of bushfires

Preparing the State for the threat of bushfires


From the MINISTER FOR POLICE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

04/05/2010

The $136.6 million boost to fire preparation and emergency response in the 2010 State Budget includes:




$35.4 million over four years for personnel training at Incident Control Centres across the State;

$28.5 million over four years to upgrade and improve bushfire warnings and upgrade intelligence gathering, analysis and alerting capability by fire and emergency agencies, including funding for the Bushfire Information Line and the Emergency Alert;

a further $3.1 million for the Bushfire Information Line to provide additional surge capacity;

$41.8 million over two years for the Country Fire Authority (CFA) to help communities and householders to better prepare themselves for the bushfire season, including key projects such as Community Fire Guard, the Self Assessment Tool, reviewing Neighbourhood Safer Places and for local government to maintain and review Fire Risk Registers and Township Protection Plans;

$9.2 million over four years to employ 18 additional CFA personnel to train local brigades to support and advise private land owners, local councils and government agencies on vegetation management;

$41 million to increase the bushfire resistance of school buildings in higher risk areas;

$500,000 to support local government to develop Neighbourhood Safer Places;

$11.6 million over four years for VICSES to purchase rescue vehicles, road accident rescue kits and additional pagers; and

$6.5 million to maintain a professional ambulance service in Kinglake and upgrade services at the Whittlesea branch – additional resources committed after the 2009 bushfires.

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