Regional mayors are calling on the Queensland Government to release a report on a review of the State Emergency Service (SES) as a matter of urgency.
The call came following a meeting of the new Regional Queensland Council of Mayors Incorporated in Mackay this week.
Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson, chair of the Regional Queensland Council of Mayors, said the yet-to-be-released report on a review of the SES was presented to the State Government in July last year and had never been made public.
“It is very disturbing to have a cyclone hovering off the Queensland coast and to know that a report on the SES has been sitting with the State Government for eight months with no action.
“The SES are critical to regional communities during a natural disaster, so it is imperative that we know what this review has recommended.”
The independent review began in September 2019 with the final report presented to then Minister for Fire and Emergency Services Craig Crawford on July 1, 2020.
Mayor Williamson said it was hard to understand the delay in the public release of the report and the Regional Queensland Council of Mayors had decided to pursue the issue.
Many of the members are in North Queensland and face the threat of cyclones and flooding every storm season.
Whitsunday Mayor, Andrew Willcox, said, “It is now more than eight months since the State received the report following this extensive review.
“The report needs to be released publicly and the Minister and the State Government need to announce what actions will be taken in relation to its recommendations as a matter of priority.”
