By Chris Thomson | posted on January 31, 2019
SOUTHWEST MLC Steve Thomas says a bid by Albany, Denmark and Plantagenet is probably the only one from the Great Southern or Southwest to have been shortlisted in the race to host an $18 million bushfire centre of excellence.
Dr Thomas said he understood Serpentine-Jarrahdale in metropolitan Perth and Pinjarra in the adjoining Peel Region were the only other places left in the running.
“When [Emergency Services] Minister [Fran Logan] is down in Albany next week would be a prime time to announce the successful proposal given it is now almost a year since the centre and Rural Fire Division were announced,” the Liberals’ Emergency Services spokesman said.
“The Minister has had long enough.
“He’s been back at work [after the Christmas break] for nearly a month.”
On April 13, Mr Logan announced the centre would be built – in line with a recommendation of the January 2016 Waroona Bushfire Special Inquiry.
The deadline for proposals was October 24, and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services has forwarded a shortlist of contenders to the Government for determination.
Mr Logan told The Weekender the location of the centre was to be con- sidered by Cabinet and therefore confidential.
“I said previously that the announcement about the new centre, which will be a first of its kind, needs to be considered carefully and won’t be announced during the peak of this bushfire season,” he explained.
“This centre is about harnessing the best in bushfire management knowledge and experience, and has the potential to become an international centre of learning.
“I would hope that instead of continually making mischief around this important centre devised by the McGowan Labor Government, and bushfire management, Dr Thomas would get on board to support this record investment in bushfire management rather than continually attempt to detract from it.”
But, with most Cabinet Ministers set to hit Albany next week, Dr Thomas said now would be the best time to make the centre’s location public.
“This is an opportunity for the Minister to be courageous and make the courageous decision to announce the centre will be going into a regional area and not into metropolitan Perth,” he said.
The metropolitan municipality of Serpentine- Jarrahdale sits in the Darling Range electorate won by the Liberals after Labor’s Barry Urban resigned following the fake qualifications fiasco.
Pinjarra is in the Labor electorate of Robyn Clarke.
Albany has long been held by Labor’s Peter Watson, while Denmark and Plantagenet are in Warren-Blackwood held by the Nationals’ Terry Redman.
City of Albany CEO Andrew Sharpe said he had received “no formal response” from the State on whether the Albany/ Denmark/Plantagenet bid had been shortlisted.
“We understand submissions are still being considered via a comprehensive process…,” he added.
The $18 million centre of excellence will see volunteers show other volunteers how to fight bushfires, and help develop new bushfire management principles.
