Bundaberg and surrounding regions like Baffle Creek and Deepwater will remain more vulnerable to devastating bushfires after the Palaszczuk Labor Government blocked a crucial Parliamentary Inquiry into last year’s disaster.

The member for Burnett Stephen Bennett addressed Parliament last night in a Private Members Motion, asking that locals, landholders and communities be heard in a Parliamentary Inquiry.

“It is vital we see this inquiry because the Palaszczuk Government’s closed internal review will fail to investigate key concerns surrounding what fueled the 2018 bushfire disaster,” Mr Bennett said.

“The impact these fires had on our communities, the environment and our farmers was significant, so let’s review to prevent future risks to our community.”

Mr Bennett said the LNP believes mismanagement and bureaucracy worsened the fires.

“I share the concerns many locals hold about land management practices to control fuel loads, how our national parks are managed, and what landholders want to do to protect their property and livestock.

“I’ve been calling for bipartisan support for a Parliamentary Inquiry to learn lessons from this tragedy, but Annastacia Palaszczuk has played politics again instead of working toward better bushfire prevention.

“More than a million hectares were destroyed in a fortnight of fires and it’s been clear from the very beginning that a Parliamentary Inquiry is needed to get our bushfire management policies right.

“Our firefighters and volunteers did an outstanding job responding to the fires, and the inquiry is not about the response, it’s about providing these volunteers support.

“It’s about getting bushfire prevention and management right.

“It’s about saving lives and communities.

“Ineffective bushfire management in our national parks and protected estates as well as a dramatic drop in the number of burns by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, are key concerns* that we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to.

*QON on fuel load management:

ENDS
Media Contact: Amity Brand 0447 364 468

Link to Stephen’s Speech (Private Members Motion):
http://tv.parliament.qld.gov.au/?reference=0Mba20190213_170946

Question on Notice (October 2018):
https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableOffice/questionsAnswers/2018/1460-2018.pdf

14/02/19