1. This week 10 years ago, the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Terry Moran said a new wave of reform was needed to take public service delivery to its next level.
In a speech at the University of Sydney, he said those who argued that reform had run out of puff did not appreciate the broader scope of the new reform agenda.
“The overriding goal of the Australian Public Service today is to extend and broaden that new reform agenda,” Mr Moran said. He said a key factor behind the success of reforms over recent decades had been bold advice to Government from a strong Public Service.
“The success of these systems shows that Australian public services have what it takes to give citizens what they want,” he said.
2. Also this week, the rights of Victoria’s volunteer firefighters were enshrined in legislation.
The Country Fire Authority (Volunteer Charter) Bill recognised that the CFA is first and foremost a volunteer-based organisation, in which volunteers are supported by paid staff in a fully integrated manner.
The legislation made it a requirement that the CFA recognise, value, respect and promote the contribution of volunteers to the wellbeing and safety of the community.
The CFA is one of the largest volunteer organisations in the world, with 59,000 volunteers.
3. In Queensland, Premier and Minister for Reconstruction, Anna Bligh announced the building of 10 new cyclone shelters and multipurpose facilities in the north of the State. She said her government would match the gift of $30 million from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi towards building five more Category Five–rated multipurpose cyclone shelters.
Ms Bligh said each shelter would provide protection for more than 500 people escaping winds of up to 300km/h, windborne debris and storm-tide inundation.
She said the initiative meant North Queensland would be more resilient and safer than ever.
4. South Australia’s Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure (DTEI) this week urged residents to prepare for an earthquake.
DTEI Earthquake Hazard Leader, Judith Carr said while the risk of earthquakes in South Australia was considerably lower than in other parts of the world, seismic activity was by no means rare.
She said while earthquakes could not be predicted, there was a basic personal safety message to follow should one occur.
“When shaking starts, the best advice is to drop, cover and hold — that is, drop to the floor, take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture, and hold on to the leg of the furniture,” Ms Carr said. People should also have an emergency kit on hand that included a battery-powered torch and radio and spare batteries.
5. Staying in South Australia, Premier, Mike Rann and the Federal Ministers for Defence and Resources and Energy unveiled a new management framework for the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA).
Defence would remain the primary user of the WPA, which would be divided into Green, Amber and Red zones, each offering different levels of access on a timeshare basis to non-Defence users.
Mr Rann said the WPA remained an essential Defence asset, as its remoteness and size made it a unique location for large-scale and long-range weapons testing. The new arrangements, however, would allow greater access to the resources and energy sectors.
6. And finally, this week 10 years ago, WA’s Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) helped provide a happy ending for a dolphin trapped in shallows near Leeman.
The juvenile bottlenose dolphin was reported washed up on the beach in a remote area and, despite the efforts of members of the public, it could not be encouraged to swim into deeper water.
In consultation with DEC’s Nature Protection Branch and under the supervision of a local veterinarian, DEC staff carefully collected the dolphin, assessed its condition and then released it near a sanctuary zone in Jurien Bay Marine Park.
DEC Marine Park Coordinator, Matthew Dasey said without the intervention, the dolphin almost certainly would have died within hours.
