Perhaps the title for this post should read “How do we move the RFS to the bush?”
This podcast is very interesting and somewhat scary in terms of population growth in the big cities. Chris Smith (Radio 2GB) speaks with Foundation for Regional Development CEO, Peter Bailey, about decentralisation.
We are unable to sustain this growth in a number of key areas including infrastructure, jobs, public transport and accommodation.
The Australian newspaper suggests that we are looking at a situation with 30,000,000 people crammed into 4 super cities whilst regional areas are bypassed and starved of economic activity.
Cities are growing at a rate 2.5 times faster than regional centres.
This podcast is also available from the 2GB web site, click HERE.
Common sense must prevail, as a discussion point, we pose the following questions:
- Why is Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) stifled from growth and development as the population explodes in Sydney?
- Why does the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) continue to focus heavily upon city centric influence when there is a much brighter future in regional areas?
- Why does the RFS fail to recognise that decentralisation is a good move for the RURAL Fire Service and its’ volunteer workforce?
- Regional and rural areas are often competing for the same volunteer. Why don’t we link decentralisation with a combination of services and service delivery?
- With the growth of the State Mitigation Support Services (SMSS) and aviation capability, the rural volunteer (in particular, the farmers, bushmen and women) are quickly becoming an endangered species. Why don’t we return our focus towards the bush and rebuild the RFS with a stronger connection with those people?
Moving the RFS out of the Greater Sydney Area (GSA) will go a long way towards providing a reconnection with regional and rural areas. This will dovetail nicely with government decentralisation policy and planning into the future.