When Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin on Christmas eve of 1974 it virtually destroyed that city. The evacuation of residents saw a mix of civil and military aircraft take the survivors to safety and the government imposed an enquiry to regulate a new building code that would ensure a rebuilt Darwin would survive the impact of future cyclonic storms.
We have two months of summer ahead and the effect of global warming is blamed for the early start and intensity of bushfires that have ravaged many areas and destroyed homes. The fact that Australia is suffering one of the longest droughts on record is contributing to this fire intensity and there is every reason to believe that the summer bushfire will become an all year event.
We must learn from the effort that was made to insulate Darwin from future destruction. The homes that burned during the present fire emergencies will be rebuilt to the old building code unless that is revamped to offer greater fire protection. It is not just isolated homes in the bush that need this improvement. The fire experience in Canberra demonstrated the ability of a bushfire to advance right into the suburbs surrounding the city.
Public anger is growing about the inaction in taking measures to stop global warming but we already have a hotter planet as evidenced by the retreat of polar ice and the erosion of temperature records in a relentless march upwards. We are rapidly approaching what science describes as a " tipping point " where weather control passes beyond the reach of human intervention.
It is imperative that the homes rebuilt to replace those lost to fires have greater fire protection and that can be achieved by improvements to the building code. A home built to resist fire can more readily be defended by the occupants in a fire emergency and more will survive under the protective efforts of the fire teams who respond to fire control through volunteer brigades.
As happened in Darwin, we need an appraisal in both home design and the selection of building materials to insulate from the penetration of ember attacks which are responsible for the destruction of many dwellings. Good design will not make a home fireproof, but it will certainly make it defensible without the need to be viewed as an " ugly fortress ".
Many residents value the serenity of living in a bush setting and clever building design can offer a high degree of protection. We urgently need a building standard update to avoid making the same errors that made homes prone to destruction this fire season. If we are destined to live on a hotter planet then the homes we live in need to be better suited to fire protection.
This needs to be implemented very quickly. The replacement of burned homes will be an immediate concern for many families and unless the building code is quickly revised we will simply regenerate this fire cycle of destruction and replacement into the future.
Tuesday, 31 December 2019
Monday, 30 December 2019
Competition !
Its interesting to see an outcome in the Pizza war that has been flourishing in New South Wales. One of the chain of big name Pizza shops has closed its doors and will send a large number people back into the job market while the surviving chain is now offering Pizza's for just five dollars - delivered !
In the Capitalist system in which we live it is competition that drives prices to new lows. There is always someone who thinks they can sell a product cheaper and the usual outcome is that this drive for the cheapest price sends the less efficient competitors broke. Survivors are prepared to work incredible hours for wafer thin profits in the belief that they will be the sole survivor and will then enjoy getting a higher price for their product.
The latest innovation to burst on the restaurant trade is the home delivery option headed by Uber. Clever advertising is convincing people that they can have the meal of their choice delivered to their door with the widest possible selection of cuisine. This rapidly increases pressure on all aspects necessary to achieve the promised result and it is now clear that expectations can not be consistently met. A lot of restaurants are having second thoughts about that idea.
This game changer was the intrusion of Uber into the taxi market. This was a very regulated industry and taxi number plates changed hands at a premium because the number of cabs allowed on the road was strictly limited. Uber crashed into that market when it induced citizens to bring their own cars and drive people to their desired destinations under the Uber booking umbrella. That broke dozens of laws and ordinances but Uber has deployed an innovative defence and seems to have gotten away with the intrusion.
We now have the situation of the existing taxi industry and Uber running a cab service side by side. The difference is that Uber drivers do not accept cash for fares and these are deducted from the passengers nominated credit provider. To use Uber, you need to have your credit details listed with Uber and your mobile phone will actually allow you to view the approach of the car which will deliver your ride.
Uber is attracting custom on the basis of speed of service, courtesy - and reliability. The conventional taxi industry was notorious for long service delays and missed appointment times. With Uber you are told the make, model and plate number of the car coming to pick you up, and even the drivers name. It blends the difference between using a cab and having a privately chauffeured vehicle get you to your destination.
Uber is the new mode of thinking in the innovation world. The innovators are people who desire to break rules and bring change and it is now clear that Uber is a permanent part of our transport system.
The final result of this food delivery concept is still not clear. That is very much a work in progress and once again the sorting out made by competition will deliver winners - and losers.
In todays world, no industry is safe when the innovators decide to target it with competition.
In the Capitalist system in which we live it is competition that drives prices to new lows. There is always someone who thinks they can sell a product cheaper and the usual outcome is that this drive for the cheapest price sends the less efficient competitors broke. Survivors are prepared to work incredible hours for wafer thin profits in the belief that they will be the sole survivor and will then enjoy getting a higher price for their product.
The latest innovation to burst on the restaurant trade is the home delivery option headed by Uber. Clever advertising is convincing people that they can have the meal of their choice delivered to their door with the widest possible selection of cuisine. This rapidly increases pressure on all aspects necessary to achieve the promised result and it is now clear that expectations can not be consistently met. A lot of restaurants are having second thoughts about that idea.
This game changer was the intrusion of Uber into the taxi market. This was a very regulated industry and taxi number plates changed hands at a premium because the number of cabs allowed on the road was strictly limited. Uber crashed into that market when it induced citizens to bring their own cars and drive people to their desired destinations under the Uber booking umbrella. That broke dozens of laws and ordinances but Uber has deployed an innovative defence and seems to have gotten away with the intrusion.
We now have the situation of the existing taxi industry and Uber running a cab service side by side. The difference is that Uber drivers do not accept cash for fares and these are deducted from the passengers nominated credit provider. To use Uber, you need to have your credit details listed with Uber and your mobile phone will actually allow you to view the approach of the car which will deliver your ride.
Uber is attracting custom on the basis of speed of service, courtesy - and reliability. The conventional taxi industry was notorious for long service delays and missed appointment times. With Uber you are told the make, model and plate number of the car coming to pick you up, and even the drivers name. It blends the difference between using a cab and having a privately chauffeured vehicle get you to your destination.
Uber is the new mode of thinking in the innovation world. The innovators are people who desire to break rules and bring change and it is now clear that Uber is a permanent part of our transport system.
The final result of this food delivery concept is still not clear. That is very much a work in progress and once again the sorting out made by competition will deliver winners - and losers.
In todays world, no industry is safe when the innovators decide to target it with competition.
Sunday, 29 December 2019
A Very Bad Idea !
We live in a dangerous world. Not only can cyclones disrupt shipping traffic and delay the arrival of imports coming to this country, any outbreak of hostilities in the supply chain have a devastating effect on the liquid fuels that serve our economy. We should be aware of the tensions present in the South China sea, through which most of our exports and imports travel.
Under our agreement with the International Energy Agency (IEA) Australia is supposed to have a ninety day fuel stockpile on shore and ready to serve us in an emergency. We are falling short on that commitment with only a twenty-five day supply of car fuel on hand and enough crude oil for a thirty day period. At the same time we are closing down our refining capacity because doing that task is cheaper in the big refineries with their higher capacity based in Asia.
Not only is our commerce at risk in this situation, a lack of fuel would seriously limit our ability to defend Australia. High proficiency ships and planes simply stand idle with a shortage of fuel and all our military forces are dependent on fuel to get them to where they are needed. Without adequate fuel we simply do not have a defence capacity and ninety percent of our needs are imported.
Rectifying that omission by building adequate storage facilities would cost millions of dollars and the government is considering avoiding that cost by entering into an agreement with the United States of America. That country is served by vast fuel storage facilities under the title of the " Strategic Reserve " held in a network of underground caverns in Texas and Louisiana. There are 640 million barrels of oil held in that reserve.
Under this agreement, Australia would add the oil necessary to meet that IEA commitment to storage in America, and many thinking people would see that as a dumb idea. We would be putting the defence of this country entirely in the hands of the US government because the oil reserves Australia would need in an emergency were not on our shores, but overseas and subject to the whim of whatever administration was in office in that country.
We regard America as a friendly nation, but if our oil reserves are based in America they need to be shipped here in an event of an emergency and that delivers both a risk and a time delay that defeats the whole concept of a fuel reserve. The vast number of other world countries far exceed Australia in the volume of oil they hold in reserve, in their own jurisdiction and ready to keep their county running during a fuel emergency.
Even considering such an agreement is a stop gap measure to avoid the cost of building adequate storage here in Australia. There is no point in having a multi-billion defence force if it would be brought to a standstill in a fuel emergency. In fact, Australia as a nation would come to a halt if the pumps at the service stations across the country ran dry.
This fuel reserve must be located here - in Australia and on Australian soil !
Under our agreement with the International Energy Agency (IEA) Australia is supposed to have a ninety day fuel stockpile on shore and ready to serve us in an emergency. We are falling short on that commitment with only a twenty-five day supply of car fuel on hand and enough crude oil for a thirty day period. At the same time we are closing down our refining capacity because doing that task is cheaper in the big refineries with their higher capacity based in Asia.
Not only is our commerce at risk in this situation, a lack of fuel would seriously limit our ability to defend Australia. High proficiency ships and planes simply stand idle with a shortage of fuel and all our military forces are dependent on fuel to get them to where they are needed. Without adequate fuel we simply do not have a defence capacity and ninety percent of our needs are imported.
Rectifying that omission by building adequate storage facilities would cost millions of dollars and the government is considering avoiding that cost by entering into an agreement with the United States of America. That country is served by vast fuel storage facilities under the title of the " Strategic Reserve " held in a network of underground caverns in Texas and Louisiana. There are 640 million barrels of oil held in that reserve.
Under this agreement, Australia would add the oil necessary to meet that IEA commitment to storage in America, and many thinking people would see that as a dumb idea. We would be putting the defence of this country entirely in the hands of the US government because the oil reserves Australia would need in an emergency were not on our shores, but overseas and subject to the whim of whatever administration was in office in that country.
We regard America as a friendly nation, but if our oil reserves are based in America they need to be shipped here in an event of an emergency and that delivers both a risk and a time delay that defeats the whole concept of a fuel reserve. The vast number of other world countries far exceed Australia in the volume of oil they hold in reserve, in their own jurisdiction and ready to keep their county running during a fuel emergency.
Even considering such an agreement is a stop gap measure to avoid the cost of building adequate storage here in Australia. There is no point in having a multi-billion defence force if it would be brought to a standstill in a fuel emergency. In fact, Australia as a nation would come to a halt if the pumps at the service stations across the country ran dry.
This fuel reserve must be located here - in Australia and on Australian soil !
Saturday, 28 December 2019
Death With Dignity !
It is a point of shame that here in New South Wales a terminal disease can end in a painful death. A law that would have enabled such people to end their own life with the help of their doctor was voted down by just one vote in the state parliament.
Public opinion polls clearly show a vast majority of New South Wales citizens would welcome the sort of legislation that is now law in Victoria and it is interesting to review the result now that landmark law is legal in that state. It came into force on June 19.
It only applies to permanent residents of Victoria and since its inception a hundred and forty applicants have applied to be allowed to die with dignity. This form of relief is only applicable to those suffering a terminal disease who satisfy the medical professions assessment that death is inevitable in a short space of time, and that is strewn with safeguards.
The applicant is required to convince two doctors, one of which is an expert in the applicable disease, of their eligibility. The application must be made by the person concerned and can not be instituted by others and after that application it must be confirmed three more times before it will be granted.
The Victorian Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board assesses every application and this coming February it will release the numbers who ended their lives under this legislation.
This is a process that through necessity is slow and careful. It is the wish of most people that when death comes it will be without excruciating pain and unfortunately many diseases are notorious for delivering a slow and painful death. The safeguards in place ensure that the patient is confirming that death request after careful consideration and sufficient thought.
A Melbourne oncologist who sits on the Dying with Dignity board comments that one of the hurdles facing applicants for an assisted death was finding a specialist doctor in their disease who had undertaken the necessary dying training. In particular, there was an acute shortage of haematologists who had undertaken the training and were able to assess patients who were dying of blood cancer.
The people involved in the scheme were doing a fantastic job, but there is a real need for more specialist doctors to sign up. Both doctors and politicians seemed scared of the vocal minority that opposes death with dignity on religious grounds and fear vilification. It should be noted that those assisting with this service are not being tarred and feathered on the streets of Melbourne.
Sadly, the people living north of the Victorian border will have to wait until this is again raised in the New South Wales parliament and hope that this time the politicians are more courageous. The misery of a slow and painful death can be avoided. It simply awaits the politicians gaining the fortitude to vote in conformity with the view of the public majority !
Public opinion polls clearly show a vast majority of New South Wales citizens would welcome the sort of legislation that is now law in Victoria and it is interesting to review the result now that landmark law is legal in that state. It came into force on June 19.
It only applies to permanent residents of Victoria and since its inception a hundred and forty applicants have applied to be allowed to die with dignity. This form of relief is only applicable to those suffering a terminal disease who satisfy the medical professions assessment that death is inevitable in a short space of time, and that is strewn with safeguards.
The applicant is required to convince two doctors, one of which is an expert in the applicable disease, of their eligibility. The application must be made by the person concerned and can not be instituted by others and after that application it must be confirmed three more times before it will be granted.
The Victorian Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board assesses every application and this coming February it will release the numbers who ended their lives under this legislation.
This is a process that through necessity is slow and careful. It is the wish of most people that when death comes it will be without excruciating pain and unfortunately many diseases are notorious for delivering a slow and painful death. The safeguards in place ensure that the patient is confirming that death request after careful consideration and sufficient thought.
A Melbourne oncologist who sits on the Dying with Dignity board comments that one of the hurdles facing applicants for an assisted death was finding a specialist doctor in their disease who had undertaken the necessary dying training. In particular, there was an acute shortage of haematologists who had undertaken the training and were able to assess patients who were dying of blood cancer.
The people involved in the scheme were doing a fantastic job, but there is a real need for more specialist doctors to sign up. Both doctors and politicians seemed scared of the vocal minority that opposes death with dignity on religious grounds and fear vilification. It should be noted that those assisting with this service are not being tarred and feathered on the streets of Melbourne.
Sadly, the people living north of the Victorian border will have to wait until this is again raised in the New South Wales parliament and hope that this time the politicians are more courageous. The misery of a slow and painful death can be avoided. It simply awaits the politicians gaining the fortitude to vote in conformity with the view of the public majority !
Friday, 27 December 2019
A Threat to " Eggs and Bacon " !
African Swine Fever is sweeping the world and one of our main food sources is in danger. Once it takes hold in a country the pig mortality rate is one hundred percent. We are free of it in Australia at present, but the big worry is infestation occurring in Indonesia and the near inevitability of Australian tourists to Bali bringing it back on their clothing or shoes.
The other contamination point occurs when incoming tourists from infected countries try to smuggle banned foodstuffs through customs. It is common for people visiting relatives in Australia to bring delicacies cooked to present traditional tastes and often this is not declared on the customs form each passenger is required to signs. We have sniffer dogs working the luggage carousels with training to detect food odours and the detection rate of undeclared food is worryingly high.
In the past, customs inspectors have confiscated the contraband and had it destroyed and simply given the passenger a warning. Should that passenger reoffend on a subsequent visit the offence would be treated more harshly and result in a substantial fine. With the Swine Fever threat getting ever closer customer luggage checks will require closer attention and any form of food contraband will be treated very seriously.
There is the very obvious problem of language when passengers do not read or speak English. We would be wise to issue multi-language information sheets along with entry visas explaining the need to declare all and every food item and the penalties that apply when contraband is detected. It is also obvious that the imposition of heavy fines will spread the word through tourist hubs that Australia treats undeclared food seriously and will impose automatic penalties for even slight breaches.
Customs officials will also be very interested in the entry and exit visas stamped in visitors passports. Should a person entering Australia from a disease free country have a record of travelling through an infected country they will make a careful inspection of that persons footwear. Contamination from anywhere associated with pigs could allow the disease to gain a foothold in this country and those shoes would need professional disinfection.
The big fear is that Swine Fever will make entry into Indonesia because Bali has become a favoured destination for Australian tourists. If that happens the chance that it may be brought back to Australia on someone's clothing or footwear increases substantially. In Australia pigs are usually farmed in a small number of high intensity farm complexes but in Asia the pig is part of villager life and not closely contained.
Apart from the financial damage Swine Fever would cause to our agricultural industry, pork is a highly regarded ingredient of the Australian lifestyle. The very thought of a pork roast with crackling is enough to get the taste buds salvinating, and life withoutg a few rashers of bacon as part of the weekly meat order would be unthinkable.
It all depends on whether our customs defences can stem the tide !
The other contamination point occurs when incoming tourists from infected countries try to smuggle banned foodstuffs through customs. It is common for people visiting relatives in Australia to bring delicacies cooked to present traditional tastes and often this is not declared on the customs form each passenger is required to signs. We have sniffer dogs working the luggage carousels with training to detect food odours and the detection rate of undeclared food is worryingly high.
In the past, customs inspectors have confiscated the contraband and had it destroyed and simply given the passenger a warning. Should that passenger reoffend on a subsequent visit the offence would be treated more harshly and result in a substantial fine. With the Swine Fever threat getting ever closer customer luggage checks will require closer attention and any form of food contraband will be treated very seriously.
There is the very obvious problem of language when passengers do not read or speak English. We would be wise to issue multi-language information sheets along with entry visas explaining the need to declare all and every food item and the penalties that apply when contraband is detected. It is also obvious that the imposition of heavy fines will spread the word through tourist hubs that Australia treats undeclared food seriously and will impose automatic penalties for even slight breaches.
Customs officials will also be very interested in the entry and exit visas stamped in visitors passports. Should a person entering Australia from a disease free country have a record of travelling through an infected country they will make a careful inspection of that persons footwear. Contamination from anywhere associated with pigs could allow the disease to gain a foothold in this country and those shoes would need professional disinfection.
The big fear is that Swine Fever will make entry into Indonesia because Bali has become a favoured destination for Australian tourists. If that happens the chance that it may be brought back to Australia on someone's clothing or footwear increases substantially. In Australia pigs are usually farmed in a small number of high intensity farm complexes but in Asia the pig is part of villager life and not closely contained.
Apart from the financial damage Swine Fever would cause to our agricultural industry, pork is a highly regarded ingredient of the Australian lifestyle. The very thought of a pork roast with crackling is enough to get the taste buds salvinating, and life withoutg a few rashers of bacon as part of the weekly meat order would be unthinkable.
It all depends on whether our customs defences can stem the tide !
Thursday, 26 December 2019
Our Christian Heritage !
Across the world yesterday, hordes of tiny little kids eagerly awoke to discover if Santa Claus had managed to find their house. The legend has it that Santa is a jolly, fat man who lives at the north pole and every Christmas eve he sets off across the world in a sled pulled by Reindeers. He manages to squeeze down chimneys, and he only leaves gifts for " good "little boys and girls.
Christmas is a Christian holiday that is celebrated by adults with the traditional Christmas dinner and the giving of presents. Here in Australia it falls in summer, but we tend to associate it with snow. It is a public holiday and almost all businesses are closed.
Unfortunately, Christmas is a busy time for the police. This holiday period brings families close together for the day and that often ends in friction. Call outs to attend cases of family violence increase as some people celebrate Christmas with too much alcohol.
This Christmas will be a tragedy for many families who have lost their homes in bush fires. Christmas will not be joyful for the many living rough on the streets but many charities provide a free Christmas dinner for the dispossessed. The spirit of Christmas envisages giving a helping hand to others.
Australia used to be a predominantly Christian country but each census more tick the " no religion " box. We have welcomed settlers from many world countries and from a range of religions and this mix manages to live together in relative harmony. Australia is one of the few world countries where religion is not a political issue.
Perhaps some misconstrue adhering to a religion to church attendance. Many people have not stepped into a church for years, except for the occasional christening, marriage or funeral. The numbers regularly attending church dwindle and yet those same people think themselves nominally Christian. If they have embraced no other religion then they are Christian by default.
Ticking that " no religion " box brings a danger to the freedoms we enjoy in a Christian society. If the Christian content of Australia falls to a new low it will be in relation to a rise in some other religion and that will encourage the adherents of that religion to demand the objectives of that religion take precedence.
Politicians are mindful of voting intentions and they study the statistics. As we enjoy this present Christian holiday we would do well to remember that it is our Christian heritage that is the base for Christmas and Easter and if we let that slip from our grasp it will invite change.
Perhaps a good reason to have a re-think when the next census rolls around !
Christmas is a Christian holiday that is celebrated by adults with the traditional Christmas dinner and the giving of presents. Here in Australia it falls in summer, but we tend to associate it with snow. It is a public holiday and almost all businesses are closed.
Unfortunately, Christmas is a busy time for the police. This holiday period brings families close together for the day and that often ends in friction. Call outs to attend cases of family violence increase as some people celebrate Christmas with too much alcohol.
This Christmas will be a tragedy for many families who have lost their homes in bush fires. Christmas will not be joyful for the many living rough on the streets but many charities provide a free Christmas dinner for the dispossessed. The spirit of Christmas envisages giving a helping hand to others.
Australia used to be a predominantly Christian country but each census more tick the " no religion " box. We have welcomed settlers from many world countries and from a range of religions and this mix manages to live together in relative harmony. Australia is one of the few world countries where religion is not a political issue.
Perhaps some misconstrue adhering to a religion to church attendance. Many people have not stepped into a church for years, except for the occasional christening, marriage or funeral. The numbers regularly attending church dwindle and yet those same people think themselves nominally Christian. If they have embraced no other religion then they are Christian by default.
Ticking that " no religion " box brings a danger to the freedoms we enjoy in a Christian society. If the Christian content of Australia falls to a new low it will be in relation to a rise in some other religion and that will encourage the adherents of that religion to demand the objectives of that religion take precedence.
Politicians are mindful of voting intentions and they study the statistics. As we enjoy this present Christian holiday we would do well to remember that it is our Christian heritage that is the base for Christmas and Easter and if we let that slip from our grasp it will invite change.
Perhaps a good reason to have a re-think when the next census rolls around !
Wednesday, 25 December 2019
Those Heroic Volunteers !
There is something very different about the fire crisis that is consuming hundreds of Australian homes and blackening an almost unbelievable portion of state forests. All this started well before the traditional fire season and has been burning continuously ever since - and we have two thirds of summer yet to come.
One of the reasons is a drought and because of that we are not getting the usual rain events that help contain the fires. We have been warned that this will be a drier continent in the future because of global warming and yet both prime minister Scott Morrison and New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian are ignoring the crisis that is erupting in fire management.
Fire control in cities is handled by paid members of fire brigades, but outside of those cities and in country towns the task falls to the Rural Fire Services and these consist of volunteers. The men and women who form the core of this volunteer fire service willingly put their lives on the line to do very dangerous work. It is a civic service and the public seem unaware that it comes at a cost to the very people whose efforts are keeping them safe.
In some cases they are self employed and the time they spend fighting fires is time lost in earning a living. Those in employment rely on the indulgence of their boss to release them and most gladly continue to pay their wages, but there are obvious limits to how long that is possible. This fire ravaging the countryside had its genesis weeks ago and there is every indication that we may be plagued by fire for weeks to come. Probably for the entire remainder of summer.
Our volunteer fire fighters are suffering exhaustion. The government puts its hand in its pocket and provides fire trucks and fire fighting equipment and lately a fleet of water bombers has been added but there is no doubt that those volunteers are seriously eroding family finances by the heroic work they do as a public service.
There is an enormous groundswell of concern building about global warming. We haver suffered a propaganda campaign from the oil industry to dispute the projections of how a hotter world will impact our lives but this drought and these fires are definitive proof that we are living in a more dangerous world - and public opinion is fast swinging behind remedial action.
What we need to do to reign in global warming will definitely have impact on lifestyles and that is staying the hands of the politicians and this reluctance to provide relief for volunteer fire fighters is typical. Tax relief for them and their employers when they are away on the fire front would be a welcome recognition of the public service provided and the government should chip in and provide the safety equipment that they presently provide from their own pockets. It would not be unreasonable to expect the government to fund death or serious injury cover for RFS members in recognition of the dangerous work they do on the fire fronts.
In the fire emergency we have faced in recent weeks it is evident that all that has stood between safety and a total disaster has been the Rural Fire Services. There simply is no " Plan B " if that fails !
One of the reasons is a drought and because of that we are not getting the usual rain events that help contain the fires. We have been warned that this will be a drier continent in the future because of global warming and yet both prime minister Scott Morrison and New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian are ignoring the crisis that is erupting in fire management.
Fire control in cities is handled by paid members of fire brigades, but outside of those cities and in country towns the task falls to the Rural Fire Services and these consist of volunteers. The men and women who form the core of this volunteer fire service willingly put their lives on the line to do very dangerous work. It is a civic service and the public seem unaware that it comes at a cost to the very people whose efforts are keeping them safe.
In some cases they are self employed and the time they spend fighting fires is time lost in earning a living. Those in employment rely on the indulgence of their boss to release them and most gladly continue to pay their wages, but there are obvious limits to how long that is possible. This fire ravaging the countryside had its genesis weeks ago and there is every indication that we may be plagued by fire for weeks to come. Probably for the entire remainder of summer.
Our volunteer fire fighters are suffering exhaustion. The government puts its hand in its pocket and provides fire trucks and fire fighting equipment and lately a fleet of water bombers has been added but there is no doubt that those volunteers are seriously eroding family finances by the heroic work they do as a public service.
There is an enormous groundswell of concern building about global warming. We haver suffered a propaganda campaign from the oil industry to dispute the projections of how a hotter world will impact our lives but this drought and these fires are definitive proof that we are living in a more dangerous world - and public opinion is fast swinging behind remedial action.
What we need to do to reign in global warming will definitely have impact on lifestyles and that is staying the hands of the politicians and this reluctance to provide relief for volunteer fire fighters is typical. Tax relief for them and their employers when they are away on the fire front would be a welcome recognition of the public service provided and the government should chip in and provide the safety equipment that they presently provide from their own pockets. It would not be unreasonable to expect the government to fund death or serious injury cover for RFS members in recognition of the dangerous work they do on the fire fronts.
In the fire emergency we have faced in recent weeks it is evident that all that has stood between safety and a total disaster has been the Rural Fire Services. There simply is no " Plan B " if that fails !
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