7/10/96
A comprehensive review of Western Australia's emergency management arrangements will help improve the delivery of service to the community, according to Emergency Services Minister Bob Wiese.
Mr Wiese said the Coalition Government was seeking to improve public safety and an assessment of emergency management arrangements was necessary to evaluate if current requirements were being met and what changes were needed for the future.
The Minister made the announcement following the State Cabinet meeting in Carnarvon. He said a review would provide an independent evaluation of the proposed emergency management legislation before it was introduced into Parliament.
"The aim of an effective emergency management system in WA is to assist the community to have contingency plans for a wide range of disasters, such as a bushfire, flood, cyclone, earthquake or a storm," he said.
"Because this State is so large and covers such a diverse environment, our emergency management services must be able to operate effectively and efficiently together through a wide range of emergencies.
"An assessment will assist all the emergency management services to maintain their high standard which includes programs for prevention, preparedness, response and recovery."
Mr Wiese said an emergency management consultancy, Bob Barchard and Associates, had been selected to conduct the review which should be completed by late December.
The Minister said Mr Barchard was well qualified to conduct the review following an extensive career in the emergency services on both a national and international level.
Mr Barchard was the deputy director of the State Emergency Services' State Counter Disaster Organisation in Queensland and later worked as the deputy commissioner of the Fire Service. He was also selected from an international field to lead a United Nations team into North Vietnam to evaluate and report on emergency management.
Media contact: Mark Thompson 222 9595
