MAYORAL MINUTE NO. 2/2017
THANK YOU TO OUR WONDERFUL EMERGENCY SERVICE VOLUNTEERS AND PERSONNEL
28 FEBRUARY 2017
Councillors,
Throughout this summer, emergency service personnel have been put to the test, not only with out-of-control bushfires threatening homes, but also in terms of extreme heat, storms and flooding.
Since the evening of Saturday 18th February, State Emergency Service (SES) and Rural Fire Service volunteers (RFS), as well as Fire & Rescue NSW personnel, have once again put their own interests last and braved the elements to help others in need after a large storm cell battered The Hills - in particular Rouse Hill, Beaumont Hills, Kellyville and Glenhaven. For this I pass on Council’s sincerest thanks for a job well done.
It is never an easy task working in extreme weather situations, and at times where it can require climbing onto broken roofs or buildings in wet and slippery conditions, the SES, RFS and Fire & Rescue NSW have performed an extraordinary job in trying circumstances.
Since the storm, these emergency service organisations have responded to more than 850 calls for help and assistance from members of our community, with operational activities only winding down last Friday.
At the height of the operation there were 40 SES teams in attendance from both metropolitan and regional areas of NSW, ably supported by up to 15 RFS crews and five strike teams from Fire & Rescue NSW which had up to 20 firefighting appliances and support vehicles.
The vast majority of jobs involved roof and property repairs from hail damage and rain inundation.
As a community, we must remember how worse would it be if there we no valuable teams of workers from various emergency service organisations to help us in extreme weather and emergency events. We must forever be grateful that this is all possible through volunteers that are willing to abandon their own personal plans to help others does not go unnoticed.
A big thank you should also be given to the families and employers from not just around our immediate community, but from across the wider metropolitan area and the state, who allow these wonderful volunteers from the SES and RFS to perform their important work.
Thanks also should be given to the new Commissioners of Fire & Rescue NSW and the SES, as well as the Commissioner of the RFS, who were more than willing to make
available the resources of their respective organisations to assist The Hills unit of the SES in responding to this emergency.
As Councillors are aware the SES is the legislated combat agency for floods, storms and tsunamis within the state. To ensure that these threats and impacts are mitigated and resolved, the NSW SES protects and assists the community through the work of professionally trained, community minded volunteers whose activities are supported by paid staff at a Regional and State level.
The NSW SES maintains one unit in The Hills Shire. First established in 1969, the unit currently has approximately 140 volunteers who are on-call 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The unit has operated out of its headquarters in Building 20 at the Balcombe Heights Estate since 1974 when it had 25 members, with a separate garage and workshop facility located approximately 300m away behind Cropley House.
Council has been a strong supporter of the unit since it was first established nearly 50 years ago with the unit reported to be currently one of the largest and best equipped in the state. At the same time the unit is actively involved in community life and events within The Hills Shire such as Australia Day, Anzac Day and the Orange Blossom Festival.
Under the provisions of the State Emergency Service Act 1989, Council is required to provide The Hills SES unit with suitable facilities for training, storage and office accommodation.
As part of a recent strategic review of The Hills SES Unit’ operations undertaken by the Regional and Local Controllers, it was identified that the existing headquarters is already inadequate for the current number of volunteers, let alone allowing for any future expansion in the size of the unit to meet the needs of the Shire’s increasing population.
The inadequacy of the existing SES headquarters was amply demonstrated during last week’s emergency when many aspects of the operation had to be managed by the SES Sydney Western Division at their facility in Seven Hills and at the RFS Control Centre at Kenthurst. We now are reaching a time where we need to start planning for our population and growth including our SES.
MOTION: Accordingly I move that:
1. Council recognise the work of the State Emergency Service and Rural Fire Service volunteers and Fire & Rescue NSW personnel in responding to the requests for assistance from our community following the severe hail storm on Saturday 18th February 2017.
2. The General Manager bring forward a report on the feasibility and cost of establishing a new headquarters facility for The Hills unit of the NSW State Emergency Service.
Councillor Yvonne Keane MAYOR
