The Tasmanian Greens today have called for State Labor to prioritise the expansion of the current Emergency Alert fire warning system, to involve Optus and Vodafone and other mobile phone service providers in line with current developments negotiated with Telstra.
Greens Emergency services spokesperson Paul ‘Basil’ O’Halloran MP said that Victoria was currently negotiating with carriers to expand the current Emergency Alert system, which sends a text, or SMS, message to mobile phones belonging to people who had a billing address in the high-risk area, to a location-based mobile alert service.
“Following the Victorian Bushfire Royal Commission, that state has driven the push to expand the SMS warning system from being based on billing address, to being location-based,” Mr O’Halloran said.
“While it is a significant breakthrough that Telstra has come on board to provide a location-based service from December this year, Victoria is still negotiating with other carriers including Optus and Vodafone to get them to also come on board.”
“Victoria is negotiating on behalf of other states, and the Greens think that Tasmania should make this a joint effort.”
“A previous test of the current Emergency Alert system in Tasmania found that the current phone network infrastructure severely limits the rate that alerts can be delivered to the public. It’s important that Tasmania is on board this process to ensure that any these limitations are clearly identified and resolved before the next bushfire season.”
“A location based-system will ensure that tourists, people travelling through a danger zone also receiving current warnings, along with residents.”
“The Greens are thinking of all those who have been affected by the weekend’s bushfires, and we also thank the Fire Service and volunteers for all their hard work in difficult conditions,” Mr O’Halloran said.
• TFGA President David Gatenby: Farmers count cost of fires
Tasmanian farmers have suffered considerable pasture, fencing and vineyard damage from the weekend’s fires at Powranna, Meadowbank and Ouse.
Stock losses are still uncertain, but certainly are much less than could have been the case.
“And that is due in no small part to the amazing firefighters who come to the fore at times like this,” Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association chief executive Jan Davis said today. TFGA president David Gatenby is among those working on the perimeter of the Powranna fire area.
The TFGA contacted affected properties in both areas today to assess the damage. It is early days yet, as farmers are still cleaning up and as yet have not fully considered the extent of damage.
Early reports to hand indicate as follows:
Meadowbank/Glenelg/Glenora
• 2400 ha of pasture lost at Meadowbank, damaged irrigation systems and telemetry in the vineyard, grape quality likely to be affected, an unknown number of sheep lost, fences, sheep yards and power poles burnt;
• a helicopter was critical in saving the house, buildings and yards at Meadowbank;
• 100 ha pasture, some sheep and infrastructure lost at Glenora;
• 450 ha of grass, trees and pine plantation lost at Glenelg.
Powranna
• the fire reached within one metre of the TAP feedlot silos;
• 150 ha of grassland and bush lost, and some sheep losses possible;
• some machinery destroyed, fences and sheep yards down, hay bales and fodder burnt.
We’ll update this report in due course.
• TFGA welcomes clout of business and industry roundtable
Tasmanian farmers claimed today the initiative of a peak bodies’ roundtable representing the spectrum of private enterprise interests throughout the state would reinforce on the state government the need for constant appraisal of its priorities to revitalise the economy.
The roundtable was convened last week by the TCCI; and attended by some 14 peak bodies, including the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association. This group represents a variety of industries, professions, the community sector and different regions that all care deeply about Tasmania’s economic future.
“The significant development here is that industry, around two-thirds of private employers, can put its case to the government with a single voice, in unequivocal terms, regarding economic development strategy, budget priorities, taxation reform, and related areas.” TFGA chief executive Jan Davis said today.
“Agriculture is a big player here. It is going to be perhaps the major economic driver in the years ahead. The prospects for agriculture are huge, with the need to feed, clothe and house a booming world population.
“The sector is forecast to generate almost $2 billion at the farm gate this year. That is approximately 10 per cent of the overall state income, and one in every three dollars of private sector income. Every Tasmanian has a stake in the future success of the agriculture sector,” Ms Davis said.
“We welcome the opportunity to work together with other industry groups to ensure that there is a clear focus on growing the state’s economy in these difficult times,” she added.
