Minister for Police and Emergency Services Mick Gentleman and Federal Minister for Justice Michael Keenan today welcomed the ACT’s aerial firefighting capability. Minister Keenan said the Australian Government invests $14.8 million each year through the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) to support states and territories and ensure Australians and our firefighters are protected by the best aerial firefighting aircraft possible.
“The NAFC is an effective and cooperative national approach to disasters, providing specialised aircraft that might otherwise be out of reach for the smaller jurisdictions,” Mr. Keenan commented “This year’s national fleet consists of 127 specialised aircraft – 64 planes and 63 helicopters – strategically deployed across Australia to ensure aerial firefighting resources can be shared between States and Territories during the fire season if the need arises. During the 2015-16 fire season, NAFC aircraft were activated on almost 5,000 occasions, predominantly for firebombing and emergency support operations. The aircraft also made more than 29,500 firebombing drops, containing more than 68 million litres of fire retardant and suppressant.” Keenan added.
Minister Gentleman today inspected the two helicopters based in the ACT to help respond to bushfires over summer. “The ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) has a wide range of resources to use when the Territory is confronted by bushfire threats, having two helicopters based at the ACT Rural Fire Service Helibase at Hume is a key component of our defences. The ACT, through NAFC, contracts one light and one medium type helicopter to provide dedicated aerial firefighting services to the ACT,” Minister Gentleman commented “The medium chopper was called into action to help extinguish a grass fire on the southern end Cooleman Ridge Nature Reserve three weeks ago. I’m advised it played a key role in extinguishing that fire, along with 14 firefighting units on the ground. Both aircraft were also used for fire fighting for an incident at Beard on Monday afternoon. The helicopters are scheduled to remain here in Canberra until 28 February 2017. The ACT also has the option to extend the arrangement beyond this date if the conditions warrant it.”
Mr. Gentleman explained that the ACT can also access a number of other firefighting aircraft through cooperative arrangements with the NSW Rural Fire Service, or other jurisdictions if needed.“This includes a number of light helicopters being immediately available from within the ACT region and its immediate surrounds, with further light helicopters, medium helicopters and fixed wing bombers available within a two-hour timeframe from further afield,” Mr. Gentleman commented.