EXCLUSIVE: Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his firefighting brigade colleagues have spoken to Sky News host Peta Credlin of the “immense” challenges they have faced during this season’s devastating bushfire season.
Serving as a volunteer for the NSW Rural Fire Service for 20 years, Mr Abbott and his fellow firefighters have opened up about the enormous toll the fire season has taken and how communities have rallied together to support each other during the last few catastrophic months.
The Lucknow brigade of the Rural Fire Service is often first on the scene at crashes on the Mitchell Highway and have been given cuddly helpers for traumatic situations.
Recently the volunteer brigade was given five Gentle Bears to put in their two fire trucks so they can give them to people at car crashes, fires and other traumatic incidents.
The bears were among 50 that were presented to branches of the Canobolas Zone of the RFS and there were 2500 that have been distributed to 46 RFS stations across the state by Insurance and Care NSW, icare, and Gallagher Bassett.
The VFFA are concerned that the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action are overlooking key elements of land management practice.
Climate change or variability impacts upon many factors relating to wildfire, but we are all at greater risk because we have neglected our bushland for way too long and the problems associated with fuel loads are becoming worse. Climate change is not the culprit, poor land management and bureaucratic fire service mismanagement is more to blame.
This web site has a plethora of stories relating to improved land management practices based upon Indigenous burning and the practices used by Australian bushmen, foresters, farmers and graziers in decades past.
You may have read press releases or the statement from this group of retired Australian Fire Chiefs claiming that the current bushfire problem in Australia is the result of climate change.
The Emergency Leaders for Climate Action group is pressing for action on climate change to prevent bushfires, protect our communities and firefighters.
This campaign is being spearheaded by Mr Greg Mullins, former Fire and Rescue New South Wales Commissioner who is now a Councillor with the Climate Council, an organisation dedicated to the idea that disastrous climate change is already upon us and will get worse unless action is taken. The proposed action is mostly related to reducing or ceasing emissions of carbon dioxide.
Not every Volunteer Firefighter agrees with the decision to extend the fire season in many areas around the state. There are some areas where it is an ideal time to burn heaps and even larger areas of bushland. The soil moisture is up in some areas and all that is needed is a calm day for a good burn.
The hassle associated with getting a permit puts farmers and other land owners off. The RFS will say that it’s not a big deal, just get a permit. But the legislation around burning and the issuing of permits is not that easy.
The system is way too complicated and people have become frightened to use fire in case the local brigade rocks up.
As reported by Alexandra Smith (SMH) on the 31st March 2019, Premier Gladys Berejiklian says her government will be compassionate and supportive as she unveiled her new cabinet on Sunday, which will have have a strong emphasis on social change.
How is it possible for Mr Elliot to show compassion and support based upon his track record with the VFFA Volunteer Firefighters.
Why not give the role to Melinda Pavey?
Melinda showed a great deal of compassion and support when she was serving the people of NSW as the Shadow Minister for Emergency Services. It would seem as though she has been handed a poison chalice in the form of water.
Melissa Price, the new federal Environment Minister, has done untold political damage to a government already divided over climate action by spouting idiotic green propaganda about Victoria’s bushfires.
On Tuesday, she linked the fires to climate change, claiming there is “no doubt” of its impact on Australia.
“There’s no doubt that there’s many people who have suffered over this summer. We talk about the Victorian bushfires … There’s no doubt that climate change is having an impact on us. There’s no denying that.”
Sorry, minister, it wasn’t climate change that caused the latest bushfires which have so far destroyed nine homes in Victoria, and it wasn’t climate change that killed almost 200 people in the Black Saturday fires ten years ago.
The real culprit is green ideology which opposes the necessary hazard reduction of fuel loads in national parks and which prevents landholders from clearing vegetation around their homes.
The recent fires in Victoria were driven by big fuel loads, not by the weather.
The fire danger index was a surprising low 16-20, but the high fuel loads resulted in predicted rates of spread of 0.5 kph and flame heights up to 10m.
In comparison, the fire danger index on Black Saturday 2009 reached around 130 -180. The FFDI is a measure of the speed, flame height and spotting distance.
Risk management strategies are widely used by all people in the modern world and the hierarchy of controls has become standard practice.
As fires are becoming larger, the risks associated with firefighting operations are also increasing. Aviation is being used at huge cost (financially) and the recent accident involving an Aircrane firefighting helicopter is a reminder of the risks for both aviation and ground crews.
Thankfully, no one was seriously injured during this aviation incident.