Minister accepts flawed CFA maps – puts volunteer’s lives at risk
The Minister for Police & Emergency Services failed to commit to halting the roll out of recently released flawed CFA maps when asked to do so by Nationals Spokesperson for Police & Emergency Services, Bill Sykes in Parliament this week.
Dr Sykes said, “The Minister begrudgingly acknowledged that the new maps contain inaccuracies but has failed to commit to halting the roll out of the new maps, highlighting the Government’s disregard for the safety of CFA and other emergency service volunteers and the community they service.”
Dr Sykes continued, “Grass roots CFA members have identified serious inaccuracies in the new maps – including the inclusion of several non existent roads.
“This may lead to delayed response times and the lives of fire and other emergency services personnel being put at risk, if for example, they get caught on a non passable road in the face of a wild fire.
“What galls local CFA members is that the same type of information was accurate in the 1998 version of the CFA maps but because the CFA failed to honour its commitment to have local volunteers proof read the new maps, numerous errors have occurred due to the use of faulty, inaccurate base data”, according to Dr Sykes.
Dr Sykes said, “I will continue to support CFA volunteers in their call for the CFA Board and State Government to ensure that maps fulfil the intended purpose of increasing the efficiency and safety of fire brigades and other emergency services responding to emergency calls.
Dr Sykes said, “The Minister begrudgingly acknowledged that the new maps contain inaccuracies but has failed to commit to halting the roll out of the new maps, highlighting the Government’s disregard for the safety of CFA and other emergency service volunteers and the community they service.”
Dr Sykes continued, “Grass roots CFA members have identified serious inaccuracies in the new maps – including the inclusion of several non existent roads.
“This may lead to delayed response times and the lives of fire and other emergency services personnel being put at risk, if for example, they get caught on a non passable road in the face of a wild fire.
“What galls local CFA members is that the same type of information was accurate in the 1998 version of the CFA maps but because the CFA failed to honour its commitment to have local volunteers proof read the new maps, numerous errors have occurred due to the use of faulty, inaccurate base data”, according to Dr Sykes.
Dr Sykes said, “I will continue to support CFA volunteers in their call for the CFA Board and State Government to ensure that maps fulfil the intended purpose of increasing the efficiency and safety of fire brigades and other emergency services responding to emergency calls.
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posted by Greg Naylor at
5:41 PM
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