brickies, the Bundaberg Rescue helicopter could be closed due to lack of funds. I live in a small town 100 ks from Bundy and the helicopter airlifts patients from this hospital to Bundy on a regular basis. I watched it come in 3 time in one day only last week. I have eldery friends here who have been airlifted out and also to Brisbane. They would not have survived without the rescue service. This is a main concern to me, especially with some of the health issues I have had in the past and also if I was on the road travelling.
-- Edited by Happywanderer on Thursday 13th of September 2012 07:52:17 PM
Its an absolute disgrace Beth. They are also saying the rescue helicopter out of Bundaberg might be closed down as not enough funding for the next year. It is a real worry. Bush fire season happens every year and they say this year could be the worst in a long time. That helicopter comes into Biggenden here to pick up emergency patients for the Bundy hosp and also to transport them down to Brisbane. What are they thinking.
Please don't anyone turn this into a 'political thread' ........ but a huge majority of the QLD population voted for this government and put them into a historic huge majority now in power - and I do understand the QLD Labor Govt needed a good kick in the pants.
How could anyone not have expected exactly the things that are happening - as has also happened in NSW and VIC ... people need to carefully listen to the hype ALL politicans say to win power.
Cheers - John
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
I'm the least political person I know, and I know politics and religion shouldn't be discussed, but I just thought to make it known because it can affect us while travelling.
Some of my rellies out west have had to deal with bushfires on their properties. It must be just heartbreaking.
Fully understand Beth ... and not trying to be "political" .... and I abhor the 'budgetary stance' of the QLD, VIC and NSW governments. It is so short-sighted, and easy, for them to cut as they are doing.
Health, education, safety services ..... are ESSENTIAL to our communities.
cheers - John
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
Yes, its been done in NSW and Vic too... with a bad bushfire season forecast I cant help feeling a quite worried! We get the politicians we vote for.... as you say, listen carefully, to more than the talk-back radio for good information.
Depressing, isn't it. The rumour going round here, Townsvile , NQ, is the careflight helo is going to be grounded, also. They do quite a few evacs from Mag.is, and a lot of out of the way places around here. I bet a lot of people on stations are aprehensive, also.Make the pollies do the rescues.The QLD treasurer was laughing just after sacking 14000 public servants- I bet none of them are laughing.Bill
I just heard on the news that Vaughan Johnson, the member for Gregory, said it's not a done deal yet. I didn't catch all that he said, but it sounds like he'll be fighting it.
On WIN/Ch9 4.30pm news this arvo (It is soooo cold here and I was bored so I put the TV on ) they were reporting that a "large number of backbenchers" in the QLD Govt are putting pressure on The Army Dictator, saying that he has been too hard with the cuts - to the healthservices etc and in particular 14,000 public service job cuts. They interviewed one of the Independant MPs who was very deriding of the Premier.
Given the public pressure (10,000 marched on Parliament House) there may be some chance (albeit small) that a re-think may occur. I guess it will be 'watch this space'.
Although the LNP has such a huge majority they can scoff at everything.
Cheers - John
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
Yes, I heard something along those lines on Ch7 news. I tentatively agree that some sectors of the public service needed a shakeup, but not the health workers.
I was in the Transport Dept recently and they're was no urgency in their movements even though there were a lot of people waiting. Many of these people wouldn't last a week in working in retail.
My main concern is as grey nomads we could be at risk while travelling on the back roads, where it is more likely to come across an uncontained fire that might put us at risk. The same applies if we happen to have an accident a distance from a town and there is no helicopter rescue service operating. I do think this is relevant to this forum and a real worry.
IT would be foolish to travel in any area of high fire danger , If we make sure we don't take these risk you won't have any problems . also the Helicopter are not run by the Bush Fire brigade . So wait and see ,All bush fire personal don't get paid so they won't sack them so if you have a fire they will be there they are top people
On the Rural Fire Brigades, as long as the shed with the trucks are in the towns and the volunteer firies live in the towns, I can't see any difference in the time to respond a crew and truck to an incident. Obviously the call out process would be done in another office.
I volunteer in a Fire Control Centre in NSW, and the call out process could easily be done anywhere.
I feel very badly for those losing their jobs though.
It was also announced the Maryborough fire service office/depot or what ever it is called is to be closed down. Now, that would cover a wide area of very hot dry land in this area causing a danger to all. You don't always know there is a fire in the area you are travelling until you get there so are not always able to avoid a bushfire that might be approaching. There are lots of back roads in this area that are treelined and high grassed edges. To get out of this town you have to drive through them just to shop. I passed 2 road side grass fires only last week, one the fire servcie were attending to. It happens.
To true janette. All the little towns around here have the 2 trucks in a shed set up. I was thinking of more of an out of control bushfire, the type they are warning about this summer as being worse than previous years. We've already had some bad ones around Brisbane where suburbs were threatened.
As soon as a fire is reported in NSW in goes on the RFS website and there are mobile phone apps that tell you where any fires are burning. All handy if you are concerned about travelling.
That's why they tell people to check with the BOM before going anywhere Marj. They put out Fire Weather warnings too. Been telling people on the ABC Radio all day to check with Bom.
Addresses and Phone Nos are stickied here somewhere.
Also Qld's high fire danger period is Winter, which is when travellers come to Qld.
I was stopped at roadworks out near Wallumbilla last week, and a silly young man threw his cigarette butt out the window. Beside the road was long dry grass. The driver must have said something to him, as he then got out and searched for the butt, stomping it out on the road, then putting it in his pocket.
After reading the press release in the newspaper on the lost of jobs in the bush fire service is what I thought , It is removal of highly paid Public servants ,who front line firefighters who are not paid have complained about to government about the interference in there running of there local bush fire brigade . These people I think will be happy to see the removal of these fat cat and money saved put into there local brigade
-- Edited by brickies on Friday 14th of September 2012 06:47:07 AM
So long as the money goes into the local bushfire brigades Brickies. My brother was a captain of a rural unit in Vic, they had to fund-raise for some of their equipment (dont know how much of it) as well as risk their lives voluntarily in a fire situation. Thats not good enough IMHO. Those blokes are heroes, should not have to fund-raise as well as fight fires, hazard-reduction burns, train, train etc, in their own time.
We have to raise our own funds to extend our Fireshed with a training room. We always have needed to fund raise for equipment. Some Personal Protection Equipment and other stuff is supplied but sparingly, most we pay for.
We have to raise our own funds to extend our Fireshed with a training room. We always have needed to fund raise for equipment. Some Personal Protection Equipment and other stuff is supplied but sparingly, most we pay for.
You give enough of your time, shouldnt have to fundraise too. Goodonya jetj!
I don't firefight any more due to injury, only good for radio communications, fund raising, and public liason now. Lots want to firefight, but not fund raise.
) they were reporting that a "large number of backbenchers" in the QLD Govt are putting pressure on The Army Dictator, saying that he has been too hard with the cuts - to the healthservices etc and in particular 14,000 public service job cuts. They interviewed one of the Independant MPs who was very deriding of the Premier.
