The Palaszczuk Labor Government’s review into the devastating bushfires that tore through parts of Queensland last year fails to investigate key disaster prevention concerns.
LNP Leader Deb Frecklington said the review failed to investigate whether Labor’s mismanagement of fuel loads and fire breaks on state-controlled land worsened the bushfires.
“We know our emergency service workers did an amazing job - that was never in doubt,” Ms Frecklington said.
“The report fails to look at whether Labor prepared the state properly before the fortnight of fires devastated Queensland communities.
“We know there were nearly 1000 less Hazard Reduction Burns conducted and attended by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service in 2018 compared to 2015.
“The report was all about Labor saving face rather than saving communities from bushfires.”
LNP Shadow Minister for Fire and Emergency Services Lachlan Millar said it was unacceptable the report failed to make any recommendations despite many submissions on the mismanagement of state-controlled land and issues with getting fire permits approved.
“Rather than taking responsibility for slashing Hazard Reduction Burns, the Palaszczuk Labor Government blamed our farmers for the fuelling the bushfires,” Mr Millar said.
“Blaming farmers for being confused about backburning rights while ignoring Labor’s own mismanagement of state-controlled land and national parks is a new low.
“Queenslanders deserved answers to crucial questions about how the bushfires caused so much damage.
“Landholders have been very open and frank with us and the government over how policy settings should be overhauled.
“Only the LNP is listening and only the LNP will hold government agencies to account on land management practices and fire mitigation activities.”
