TEL: 10. Jan. 94 11: 47 No. 004 P. 01/ 06.
PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P. J. KEATING, MP
INTERVIEW WITH JULIE FLYNN, RADIO 2UE, RE: NSW BUSHFIRES
SUNDAY, 9 JANUARY 1994
E& OE PROOF ONLY
JF: Mr Keating, what's been your personal response to the scale of the
devastation the fires have caused?
PM: Well, it just demonstrates how vulnerable people are even in the
relatively inner city suburbs in modern brick homes. Sydney, and
NSW in particular, is well served by its very large areas of open
space and forest. But, I suppose, as the years have gone on people
have believed that large fires of this nature are more the exception
than the rule. It has been the unlikely weather conditions which have
produced this. But, I must say, that I think the fighting of the fires
have been very professional and losses have been while too high still
minimal for the size of the fires that have been experienced.
JF:-It has been an extraordinary performance by everyone involved. How
long do you think the fire fighters can sustain this effort?
PM: Well, the latest advice I have is that if conditions prevail as is now that
is as of late Sunday there is an expectation that within 72 hours the
great majorlty of fires will be brought under control.
JF;-Is there anything more that the Commonwealth can do at this stage?
PM: Well the Commonwealth has got as much equipment really and
personnel there as can be taken. We have got 30 helicopters
currently deployed and we have 10 on standby, we have got 400
people deployed, 200 on standby not yet required as well as dozens
of water tankers and four wheel drive vehicles etc. So in terms of, I
think the cooperation between the Australian Defence Forces and the
emergency services have been tip top. And so everyone says, but we
stand ready-t deploy more if needs be. I think one of the important
things out of this Julie ( Flynn) will be the experience of the fire
fighters, the volunteers In these fires each episode of these fires
TEL 2
brings the professionalism of fire fighting up and I think after it would
be important to get peoples' views to see in which ways both In terms
of equipment and personal deployment we can better fight the fires in
the first instance with the emergency services and volunteers and with
the Australian Defence Forces.
JF: Do you think we probably also need a national review of bush fire
strategies overall, particularly in the question of burning back?
PM: I think that will come fairly naturally with this. It is a long time since
Sydney has seen fires like this or the NSW region generally and of
course, because of this time there has been some complacency In the
community but this has not been true of the professional services as I
think the success in fighting these fires has demonstrated.
JF: Do you have any message for the employers who have staff working
as volunteer fire brigade officers?
PM: I think most employers would take a fairly sensible, I hope humane
view of the services which volunteers can provide, and that is on
these times every professionally qualified person who understands
how to fight a fire it is of course very important. But I think what we
have seen is quite magnificent efforts on behalf of volunteers, and
pulling the volunteer service in together with the professional services
is not a very easy thing to do but it has been done very affectively
here.
JF: There have been calls for a nation wide appeal to raise money for the
victims of the fire do you think that is necessary?
PM: Well I made clear yesterday that any contributions to designated
funds ' will be tax deductible to encourage people to make
contributions towards it. There will of course be assistance to people
affected by the fires and the natural disaster relief arrangements
which the Commonwealth has in place With NSW. But also can I say
that the Commonwealth indicated yesterday that we would meet NSW
dollar for dollar in the cost of fighting the fires.
JF; Have you had any overall cost conveyed to you yet by either the
Premier or the Bush Fire Authorities?
PM: Well, no not of the fires or the cost of restoration or replacement of
infrastructure but as of yesterday the cost of actually fighting the fire
was about $ 15 million, we are meeting half of that. I also Indicated
yesterday that the Commonwealth will be declaring a disaster relief
payment under -, the Social Security Act. And at the moment that
payment is limited to aformula, we will probably increase that formula
a number of times which will mean a more generous level of
payments. T1EL0: . Jan. 94 11: 47 No. 004 P. 02/ 06
T1EL.: Jan. 94 11: 47 NO. 004 P-03/ 06
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JF: Prime Minister, having a look around at what has happened you say
you have been impressed by the work of the people who have been
fighting the fires, but there has also been an extraordinary response
from just the people who have been affected and ordinary Australians
who have rushed Into help, hasn't there?
PM: There has been a magnificent response I think from just general
members of the public trying to give a hand and there the ones who
are fighting effectively many fires, way beyond the course of the
capacity of volunteers. I mean the effort has been nothing short of
magnificent and just shows you when things get tough in this country
the country does pull together in a very strong and meaningful way,
and I think that has been demonstrated very clearly here. The main
thing is where does this now go and I think the next 24 hours are
going to tell the story. My latest advice was that in the suburban fires
in the Sydney area, the likelihood that sufficient resources could be
deployed to contain theme there has been no property loss in Sydney
in the last 24 hours despite the fact that many homes were lost
yesterday around Sonnet Bay and Jannali. There are 155 homes lost
I think in total so far but none lost today. That is my advice which if of
course we can maintain that record we will then be fine. There is the
Blue Mountains Kariong area which is a problem. There are spot fires
there, the wind conditions are not good but resources are being
deployed. T-he overall view from the emergency services is as
conditions currently are there is same expectation that within about 72
hours most of the fires could be contained.
JF: Prime Minister thank you very much.
PM; Thank you Julie.
ends TEL