Local rural fire brigade personnel expressed concerns to our office regarding the Disaster Management and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024, which has been introduced to Parliament as part of the restructuring that has been occurring across the emergency services space. In response, we made enquiries to the Queensland Minister for Fire and Disaster Recovery who provided below in response:

In July 2021, the Queensland Government commissioned KPMG International Limited to undertake an independent review into the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of QFES and its volunteer entities. The resulting report (the Independent Review Report) made 19 recommendations for reform for the delivery of fire and emergency services and disaster management.

The Independent Review Report sought the restructure of emergency services arrangements by:

  • simplifying efforts in relation to fire and emergency services activities by establishing a new department consisting of the current Fire and Rescue Service (FRS), Rural Fire Service, FireCom and appropriate elements of QFES’ current Corporate Services Division;
  • reallocating the responsibility of Queensland’s disaster management functions to the Commissioner, Queensland Police Service (QPS);
  • aligning State Emergency Service (SES) under QPS;
  • establishing the new Marine Rescue Queensland (MRQ) as the single entity responsible for blue water marine rescue for Queensland aligned under QPS; and
  • transferring service agreements and grants arrangements for PCYC Emergency Services Cadets, Surf Life Saving Queensland and Royal Life Saving Society Queensland to QPS.

On 26 October 2022, the Government published Good Jobs and Better Fire and Emergency Services to Support Queensland’s Great Lifestyle, accepting in principle all recommendations made in the Independent Review Report, except recommendation 12.

Government’s response to the Independent Review Report also requested the InspectorGeneral Emergency Management (IGEM) review Queensland’s disaster management arrangements and propose any legislative reforms and updates to the State Disaster Management Plan. The IGEM report, Review of Queensland’s Disaster Management Arrangements (the IGEM Review), was delivered on 28 April 2023 and made 10 broad recommendations that the government has accepted in principle.

Legislative reforms associated with the Government response are being progressed in two stages. As part of stage one, three Bills were introduced into the Legislative Assembly on 28 November 2023 by the Honourable Mark Ryan MP, Minister for Police and Community Safety (then Minister for Police and Corrective Services and Minister for Fire and Emergency Services). These Bills will:

  • establish MRQ as a state-wide marine rescue service (Marine Rescue Queensland Bill 2023);
  • establish SES (State Emergency Service Bill 2023); and
  • make the consequential and administrative amendments necessary to transfer responsibility of MRQ and SES to QPS.

A second tranche of amendments will seek to amend the Disaster Management Act 2003, Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990 and Queensland Reconstruction Authority Act 2011 to give effect to the remaining structural, administrative and operational reforms recommended by the Independent Review Report and IGEM Review. It is hoped to bring those amendments forward soon.

In January this year, a consultation draft of a Bill containing the proposed amendments was circulated to key stakeholders. Government is currently considering that feedback and, as a consequence of the feedback, potential changes to the draft Bill.

I do note that as part of the proposed amendments, Government is seeking to give effect to its commitment to establish the RFSQ as a separate entity within the new Queensland Fire Department. Under the current Act, the RFSQ is not recognised as a separate service to FRS.

In regard to reports that only QFES staff can manage rural fire incidents, there are no proposed amendments to current practice. However, an additional amendment is being proposed to ensure that, where a rural fire brigade first officer or next senior officer is unavailable to manage an incident in their assigned area, the Commissioner can appoint another person to be in charge of the incident. This is to ensure there is an appropriate delegation of powers to other brigade members and that a person with the experience of a first officer is in charge of the incident. The person could be a first officer from a neighbouring brigade, a RFSQ fire officer or a FRS fire officer.

Sandy has now also met with representatives from our local units across the Noosa Shire/ Electorate including Timbeerwah, Boreen Point, Kin Kin, Noosa Northshore, Teewah, Black Mountain and Cooroibah, pictured above, with further concerns raised that Sandy will be taking forward to the Minister.

We would like to thank all who volunteer to keep our communities, families, friends and loved ones safe, and give reassurance that your voices have been heard.

The committee inquiry into this bill has now closed submissions however you can still view information regarding at www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-Committees/Committees/Committee-Details?cid=250&id=4386.

If you would like to become one of our local heroes by joining up with our volunteer firies, information can be found at www.qfes.qld.gov.au/about-us/frontline-services/rural-fire-service.

Further information

A reminder expanded training resources for our rural and volunteer firefighter training, as well for non-voluntary staff have been funded following advocacy from our office and others. More information is available at www.sandybolton.com/fire-and-emergency-personnel-development-august-2023

For those wishing to contact the relevant Queensland Minister, please email fdrc@ministerial.qld.gov.au. Please copy in our office via noosa@parliament.qld.gov.au and forward us any response you receive.

Further updates on local matters are available at www.sandybolton.com/noosa360. Just use the handy search bar to find your topic of interest.