Transcript of my opening speech to the Assembly, in tabling the Storm Damage Motion.
2022 02 10 Motion – Storm Damage Opening Speech
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to bring this motion to the Assembly for debate. I do so on behalf of the many people who have been adversely affected by the recent storms.
Storm season
Storms are a regular occurrence in the ACT. The Bureau of Meteorology has recorded 26 severe storms, and weather events in the last ten years. These storms have included significant rainfall contributing to flooding events. Hail causing major damage; I recall the major hailstorm that ripped through Canberra last year, writing off almost 20 thousand cars in under 10 minutes. And strong winds with gusts up to 90 kilometres per hour are not uncommon, leaving a trail of debris, such as the recent storm that hit areas of Belconnen.
The ESA website tells me that the storm season in the ACT runs from September to February each year. So, this summer, not unlike others that have gone before, storms were to be expected, including the January severe thunderstorm, which caused significant damage to many homes and streetscapes, especially in the Belconnen area.
Storm damage – social, emotional and financial
What is important to note is that when they happen, and damage occurs, they can cause social, emotional, and financial costs to those most affected. The storm on January third, left many Canberrans without power, some for up to a week. There was significant damage, with trees down, debris scattered across streets—and damage reported to housing. The SES said they responded to 1023 jobs, with their initial responses not completed until January eight.
.Now let me immediately clarify, that this is not about the SES response. The SES volunteers, who form the majority of that workforce, do a fantastic job. Figures from the recent Report on Government Services showed nine full-time-equivalent operational staff, and 388 volunteers. These dedicated men and women take on the amazing role of first responders to many of these emergencies.
But we cannot ignore that being left without power, especially if you are a vulnerable person, a family with small children, or, as I have heard, many families confined to their home because of covid restrictions, is an emotionally draining experience. The impact of not being able to go anywhere, having no power, and not being able to communicate because you cannot charge your phone, can be a very socially, isolating experience. And then, to have face the financial cost of clean-up, because your Government has failed in its response and has done nothing to help you. That is not good enough.
Government response
Now, the SES responded to and completed more than 1023 jobs; however, some areas of Belconnen were without power for six days waiting for EvoEnergy, the Government’s own energy company, to fix the issues. On the ninth of January, 45 houses were still without power, six days after the event.
And it has been more than a month, and storm debris clean-up is still ongoing. In most places, it has been up to the local community members to remove fallen trees and tree limbs, leaf litter, and other debris from people’s gardens, front verges, and driveways to gain access to their properties. And in some instances, rubbish left behind by government clean-up crews! And in this time, the most the Government offered was an extra green bin collection? I have no doubt it was welcome.
.There has been such limited support offered. No food services, power generators, clean up services, to many of those suffering from excessive, and prolonged storm damage, with some of the most vulnerable forced to rely on the goodwill of their neighbours. Even the ACT ESA Community Hub at Higgins was not made available till the evening of the fifth of January, two days after the storm. And very few people were aware of this service.
Government communication
In fact, during the storm and after, the community perceived a significant lack of communication by the Minister, with no local area contact made, with those who suffered the worst damage.
In response to questions by the media, the Government stated their responses and communication was primarily through radio broadcast and social media. I have to observe that these media outlets are difficult, even impossible, to access, with no power.
Since late 2020, in acknowledging the annual storm phenomenon, the Government has been working on a communication strategy to get Canberra storm ready. It is questionable how effective this communication strategy has been. It appears to rely solely on people visiting their website or being on Facebook to see the sponsored posts. I have read some of the comments in response to those posts. They are not complimentary as people express their frustration at the lack of government response, communication, and support in fixing up the mess caused by the storm.
Government services – fix my street
The ACT does not appear to have a second tier of support for cleaning up storm debris. The second-tier support is standard in other states and territories where councils, state governments, and SES work together to bring a whole-of-government response, to storm clean up. Now we don’t have a second-tier level of Government here, so this Government needs to fill in that gap.
The Government’s recommendation in response to people’s questions and comments in the media and on social media, has been to advise people to lodge their complaints through Fix-my-Street. According to Minister Steel’s response to a question on notice, the Fix-my-Street site had over 47 thousand claims lodged in 2021, and people waited for months for an answer, causing anger and frustration for those worst affected.
Three weeks after the event, on January 25, the ACT government posted a message stating that since Monday, the third of January, over 2000 tasks had been identified from requests through Fix-my-Street and completed clean-up audits!
They made a further observation that the scale of damage, which included entire trees uprooted, as well as the safety risks presented by the task at hand, meant the recovery could take months to complete! Months!
In proposing this motion, I am hoping for a range of outcomes.
Firstly, I would like the inquiry to look at the social, emotional and financial costs of those who have experienced storm damage and lengthy delays in the redress. Storms are distressing, and the damage they cause can be overwhelming, especially for the vulnerable in our community. We have a fantastic community in the ACT, and people are incredibly resilient and generous with their time helping neighbours clean up, as we have seen repeatedly. But it is not their role to clean up storm debris.
Secondly, to look at the effectiveness of existing reporting mechanisms of storm damage, both for redress concerning individual incidents, and for statistical monitoring of the prevalence of storms and storm damage experienced by individuals, and by the people in the ACT community.
Thirdly, for the inquiry to review the adequacy of the response by various agencies, Government and otherwise, to the storm damage, the length of time it took to correct matters, and the lack of support to clean up storm debris afterwards. A key question here is how could the response be improved. We know the SES has been overwhelmed, and EvoEnergy staff were out there for long hours trying to fix the mess. But in a risk management approach, it is not always about how we respond but what needs to be done to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
Fourthly, for the inquiry to assess the adequacy and accessibility of communication, both during and after the storm. When ordinary Canberrans struggled to maintain their everyday lives. When they were deprived of adequate support during a week without power. We know this is a covid time, which has made the issues experienced worse for many. In previous years SES volunteers would knock on doors, this was not possible. What might have been a better way to respond, then through distant communications channels that proved inadequate – because of the lack of power!
Finally, I would like the inquiry to consider the adequacy of services provided in the immediate and longer-term period after the storm, including electricity, livelihood support, and storm debris clean-up. What would be the value of establishing, and possible roles of, a further tier of support to help clear up storm damage once the immediate emergency is over? A key question here is to review how other states and territories respond. What might we learn from them? How might we adopt some of their practices?
I note that the inquiry will explore other matters that the committee considers relevant. I ask the committee to conduct the inquiry in a way that allows the greatest community engagement possible. I have suggested that a discussion paper be prepared by 29 April 2022. And to report back by the 1st of September, at the start of the next storm season.
Once again, I want to thank the amazing volunteers of the SES, who put in long hard hours to ensure the safety of our community. And also, the amazing neighbours and friends who pitched in to help in the days after the storm, I have heard some great stories of support. To all these people, can I encourage you to participate in this critical inquiry? I hope that this inquiry’s report guides how this territory deals with and addresses storms and storm damage in our community for decades to come.
END