COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND JUSTICE STANDING COMMITTEE INQUIRY INTO FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES LEGISLATION Report No. 3 in the 37th Parliament 2006 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND JUSTICE STANDING COMMITTEE Published by the Legislative Assembly, Parliament of Western Australia, Perth, October 2006. Printed by the Government Printer, State Law Publisher, Western Australia. Community Development and Justice Standing Committee Inquiry into Fire and Emergency Services Legislation ISBN: 1 920830 88 X (Series: Western Australia. Parliament. Legislative Assembly. Committees. Community Development and Justice Standing Committee. Report 3) 328.365 Copies available from: State Law Publisher 10 William Street PERTH WA 6000 Telephone: (08) 9321 7688 Facsimile: (08) 9321 7536 Email: [email protected] Copies available on-line: www.parliament.wa.gov.au - 2 - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND JUSTICE STANDING COMMITTEE INQUIRY INTO FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES LEGISLATION Report No. 3 Presented by: Mr A.P. O'Gorman, MLA Laid on the Table of the Legislative Assembly on 19 October 2006 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND JUSTICE STANDING COMMITTEE COMMITTEE MEMBERS Chairman Mr A.P. O'Gorman, MLA Member for Joondalup Deputy Chairman Mr M.J. Cowper, MLA Member for Murray Members Mr S.R. Hill, MLA Member for Geraldton Ms K. Hodson-Thomas, MLA Member for Carine Mrs J. Hughes, MLA Member for Kingsley Co-opted Member Hon P.D. Omodei, MLA Inquiry into Fire and Emergency Member for Warren-Blackwood Services Legislation (25.08.2005-13.04.2006) COMMITTEE STAFF Principal Research Officer Ms Katherine Galvin, BSW Senior Research Officer Ms Nicole Gibbs Seconded from the Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia (17.10.2005 - 21.04. 2006) Research Officers Ms Melissa Dove, BSc (Geol Hons), Grad Dip Ed Seconded from the Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia (17.10.2005 - 28.04. 2006) Ms Dawn Dickinson, BSc (Hons), MURP (from 23.05.2006) Ms Nicole Burgess, BA (until 21.11.2005) COMMITTEE ADDRESS Community Development and Justice Standing Committee Legislative Assembly Tel: (08) 9222 7494 Parliament House Fax: (08) 9222 7804 Harvest Terrace Email: [email protected] PERTH WA 6000 Website: www.parliament.wa.gov.au - i - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND JUSTICE STANDING COMMITTEE TABLE OF CONTENTS COMMITTEE MEMBERS...........................................................................................................................i COMMITTEE STAFF...................................................................................................................................i COMMITTEE ADDRESS ............................................................................................................................i COMMITTEE’S FUNCTIONS AND POWERS.................................................................................. vii INQUIRY TERMS OF REF ERENCE......................................................................................................ix CHAIRMAN’S FOREW ORD....................................................................................................................xi ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS................................................................................................xv GLOSSARY................................................................................................................................................ xix EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..................................................................................................................... xxv RECOMMENDATIONS......................................................................................................................xxxix MINISTERIAL RESPONSE.................................................................................................................... lxi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 BACKGROUND...............................................................................................................................1 1.2 CONDUCT OF THE INQUIRY ....................................................................................................1 1.3 THE CONTRIBUTION OF VOLUNTEERS TO EMERGENCY SERVICES ....................2 1.4 SCOPE OF THE INQUIRY............................................................................................................3 1.5 A NOTE CONCERNING TERMINOLOGY ..............................................................................3 CHAPTER 2 THE MEANS BY WHICH LEGISLATION PUTS IN PLACE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT MEASURES TO PREVENT, PREPARE FOR, RESPOND TO AND ENSURE RECOVERY FROM FIRE AND EMERGENCIES ............................................................................................................... 5 2.1 THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ONE EMERGENCY SERVICES ACT ..................................5 Committee assessment.......................................................................................................10 2.2 THE EMERGENCY SERVICES ACT TO BIND THE CROWN ........................................11 Committee assessment.......................................................................................................19 2.3 BUILDING SAFETY.....................................................................................................................20 Background..........................................................................................................................20 2.4 FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES AUTHORITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S POWER IN RELATION TO INSPECT ING BUILDING PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS ..............................................................................................................21 Certificates of Classification (Occupancy).....................................................................25 Committee assessment.......................................................................................................26 2.5 THE POWER TO INSPECT, EVACUATE AND APPLY FOR AN ORDER TO CLOSE DOWN BUILDINGS ......................................................................................................29 Committee assessment.......................................................................................................32 2.6 INSTALLATION OF FIRE PREVENTION APPARATUS ..................................................34 Committee assessment.......................................................................................................35 2.7 THE POWER TO APPROVE AND CANCEL THE APPROVAL TO ESTABLISH BUSHFIRE BRIGADES ...............................................................................................................36 Committee assessment.......................................................................................................42 2.8 RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE OPERATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE UNITS...............................................................................................44 Committee assessment.......................................................................................................53 2.9 MANAGEMENT OF STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE UNITS ........................................54 CHAPTER 3 THE MEANS BY WHICH LEGISLATION PUTS IN PLACE APPROPRIATE RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ON LAND OWNED/MANAGED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OR BY STATE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS OR AGENCIES ..........................................57 3.1 THE POWER TO REQUEST LAND OWNERS, LAND OCCUPIERS OR LAND MANAGERS TO DEVELOP FIRE MANAGEMENT PLANS............................................57 FESA requests the power to compel the development of fire management plans...57 - iii - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND JUSTICE STANDING COMMITTEE The local government perspective...................................................................................60 Department of Conservation and Land Management perspective..............................63 The view of other organisations.......................................................................................67 The development of fire management plans ..................................................................74 Liability ................................................................................................................................76 Interstate arrangements......................................................................................................77 Interstate compliance arrangements ................................................................................81 Multi-agency advisory committees on fire management planning ............................81 Committee assessment.......................................................................................................83 CHAPTER 4 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INCIDENT COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEMS IN FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES INCLUDING INTEROPERABILITY IN MULTI-AGENCY INCIDENTS .............................91 4.1 FIRE CONTROL.............................................................................................................................91 Control..................................................................................................................................91 Command .......................................................................................................................... 115 Committee assessment...................................................................................................