Shadow Minister for Emergency Services

One of the principal issues Melinda has been working on during her role as Shadow Minister for Emergency Services is the lack of hazard reduction across NSW.

Melinda’s greatest concern is the stories and statistics that paint a frightening picture about the serious lack of hazard reduction across NSW. Our community expects and deserves better.

After immense pressure the NSW Labor Government finally revealed that they had failed to complete 30 per cent of planned hazard reduction works on top of nearly 50 percent last year, which equated to approximately only 120,000 hectares burnt annually.

Melinda has met with a number of RFS volunteers, visited a number of communities in high risk areas, and fought hard in Parliament to pressure the Labor Government to take their responsibilities of hazard reduction seriously, but still not enough is being done.

A review must be carried out after allegations from local volunteers about mismanaged fire trails and public land management by the NSW Labor Government were raised.  This kind of incompetence puts volunteers lives at risk and this behaviour is typical of the NSW LaborGovernment who continually fails to consult with volunteers.

In Parliament recently, the Coalition gave the RFS its’ unequivocal commitment to ensuring that when in Government the Rural Fire Service (RFS) will remain an independent, stand alone agency. 

Another area of Melinda’s portfolio involves the SES, which have had a very busy year this year with the number of disastrous floods that have hit NSW.

Melinda was also successful in overturning the incompetent Labor Government’s decision to prohibit local councillors from being State Emergency Services (SES) controllers; a victory for the SES.

The NSW Labor Government's incompetence has also resulted in the release of the Ken Moroney North Coast Flood Report being three weeks overdue, which is simply not good enough for the communities that were so eagerly trying to recover.

The Minister Steve Whan has clearly got his priorities wrong. It is simply not good enough as the Minister for Emergency Services to have not looked closely as this very significant flood report.

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