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Shire of Victoria Plains
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Media release
Love welcomes rapid response to Ferguson Inquiry
Member for Moore Shane Love MLA has welcomed the State Government’s announcement that it will support all 17 recommendations of the
Special Inquiry into the January 2016 Waroona Fire by Euan Ferguson AFSM.
Mr Love said many of the recommendations from the inquiry were already being implemented ahead of the 2016 bushfire season.
“It is important Western Australia is best placed to respond to fires which cause significant damage and destruction across regional WA,” Mr
Love said.
Significantly, the State Government agreed to adopt a recommendation to establish a Rural Fire Service, either as an independent agency or
sub-department within the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES).
“The State Government’s decision to consider the pros, cons and practicalities of establishing a Rural Fire Service is great news for regional
WA,” he added.
Mr Love said the views of a wide range of relevant community groups will be canvassed at a forum this year. This will include relevant
agencies such as the Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, local government, volunteer
firefighters and the United Firefighters Unions of WA.
He said work was also underway to address bushfire risk on Government-owned land with an additional $15 million over four years, thanks to
Royalties for Regions
.
“A key issue highlighted in the inquiry was the need for greater emphasis on prevention and risk mitigation on Crown land, and the State
Government has reacted quickly by allocating additional funding to this area ahead of the 2016-17 bushfire season,” Mr Love said.
“This increased funding will be available to State Government agencies responsible for, and adjacent to, regional townsites to ensure a more
coordinated approach to risk mitigation on Crown land.”
The State Government also announced its intention to establish a new Office of Emergency Management (OEM), comprised of the State
Emergency Management Committee Secretariat and the Office of Bushfire Risk Management.
Love pushes for oil and gas veto
Member for Moore Shane Love MLA is confident that the Nationals WA will adopt his position that would see landholders given the right of veto
over oil and gas companies.
The Moore branch of the National Party will take a motion to grant the right of veto to the National Party’s state conference in Geraldton on
October 29, which Mr Love said he hoped would provide the party’s platform going into the March 2017 election.
“That motion would give landholders the same right of veto over the petroleum industry that landholders have within the
Mining Act 1978
,” Mr
Love said.
“Having agitated for greater landholder rights since being elected nearly four years ago, I believe now that the most straightforward way of
ensuring that landholders operate within a level playing field is that they have the right of veto.”
Mr Love said that his position on the petroleum industry and land access related issues had strengthened over time.
“I crossed the floor to vote against both my Nationals colleagues and the Liberal Party soon after being elected in 2013,” Mr Love added.
“This was to oppose amendments that would further erode property rights of farmers and other land holders under the law governing oil and
gas.
“Over the intervening period, I have gathered support within the National Party room for a better deal for land owners and have put proposals
to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum that, whilst then stopping short of a veto, would have greatly improved the negotiating position of
farmers.”
Mr Love said these proposals were broadly reflective of the findings of the Legislative Council Inquiry into the industry.
“My position further strengthened when it became clear that the Government was not going to adopt all of the recommendations of the Upper
House Inquiry into fracking, tabled in November 2015,” he said.
“I then realised it was time to cut to the chase and simply give farmers the right to say no.”
Mr Love said he understood the concern that members of the community have in regard to the potential development of the gas industry.
“Giving landholder’s the right of veto is the most effective and clear cut way of maintaining their property rights," he added.