The primary purpose of the State Fire Commission is to minimise the social, economic and environmental impact of fire and other emergencies on the Tasmanian community. This is achieved through implementing strategies for the Tasmania Fire Service that develop resilience to prevent and prepare for emergencies.
The Commission is also responsible for:
· managing incidents involving hazardous materials, including response to terrorist incidents involving chemical, biological and radiological agents;
· road crash rescue (in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie, Devonport and surrounding areas);
· providing an Urban Search and Rescue capability to manage the rescue of people from collapsed buildings and structures;
· a range of community fire safety programs that guard against structural fire and bushfire;
· fire investigations; and
· coordinating Fuel Reduction Program activities on behalf of the Government.
The State Fire Commission reports to the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Hon Jacquie Petrusma MP, and the supporting agency is the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management. The Commission delivers all its services through its operational arm, the Tasmania Fire Service.
This chapter provides the State Fire Commission’s financial information for 2021‑22 and over the Forward Estimates (2022‑23 to 2024‑25). Further information on the Commission can be found at www.fire.tas.gov.au.
Table 26.1 provides a summary of the Budget and Forward Estimates allocations for key deliverables being undertaken by the Commission.
|
|
2021‑22
Budget |
2022‑23 Forward Estimate |
2023‑24 Forward Estimate |
2024‑25 Forward Estimate |
|
|
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
|
Election Commitments |
|
|
|
|
|
Fire and Emergency Services Volunteer Grants Program |
.... |
.... |
500 |
500 |
|
Fire and Emergency Services Volunteer Recruitment Teams and Secretariat |
600 |
600 |
600 |
600 |
|
Red Hot Tips Program |
625 |
625 |
625 |
625 |
|
State Operations Centre Multi‑hazard Intelligence Team |
.... |
300 |
300 |
300 |
|
Tasmania Fire Service Fuel Reduction Program |
625 |
625 |
625 |
625 |
|
Volunteer Brigade Equipment Upgrades |
250 |
250 |
500 |
500 |
|
Volunteer Brigade Fire Truck Defibrillators |
250 |
.... |
.... |
.... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Initiatives |
|
|
|
|
|
Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS) |
1 379 |
.... |
.... |
.... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
This initiative continues an existing commitment from 2018‑19, which enables all Volunteer Units from the Tasmania Fire Service and State Emergency Service to apply for upgrades to equipment from 2023‑24 for three years.
This initiative will establish a dedicated team to bolster volunteer recruitment and administration in remote and rural communities for Volunteer Fire and State Emergency Service Associations over four years.
This initiative continues an existing commitment to help landowners plan and undertake fuel reduction activities over four years. The revised program, known as Red Hot Tips, is designed to educate, engage, and support farmers and rural landholders to actively manage their bushfire risk, while encouraging collaborative, practical vegetation fire management and ecological sustainability.
This initiative will deliver a multi‑hazard intelligence team from 2022‑23 that can provide rapid advice to commanders for planning incident responses, as well as real‑time monitoring of the various risks and hazards over three years.
This initiative will provide additional funding over four years to the Fuel Reduction Program to support mechanical clearing.
This initiative will provide standardised equipment to volunteer brigades and units in areas such as personal protective equipment and communications over five years.
This initiative will enable the purchase and installation of defibrillators in volunteer fire appliances in 2021.
This initiative will assist the Commission to meet one of the recommendations from the 2020 Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements. The funding will deliver Tasmania’s commitment to the implementation of a nationally consistent Australian Fire Danger Rating System, including public education and policy change.
This initiative provides funding to progress flood mitigation works in the Kentish and Latrobe municipalities to support the ongoing implementation of the Government’s response to the Report of the Independent Review into the Tasmanian Floods of June and July 2016. Funding for this initiative is reflected in chapter 8 of Government Services Budget Paper No 2.
In addition to the key deliverables identified in the above table, the ongoing key deliverables for the State Fire Commission include:
· implementation of the Fire Fighting Appliance Replacement Program to ensure that all fire appliances remain viable for operation in a safe and effective manner;
· implementation of the Fire Station Build Program for capital upgrades to Commission facilities, which includes a combination of refurbishment and replacement of fire stations;
· development of two dedicated Fuel Reduction Teams, including 12 additional staff members within the Tasmania Fire Service Bushfire Risk Unit to undertake Fuel Reduction Program bushfire risk reduction activities across the State;
· employment of Regional Emergency Management Planning and Development Officers to support municipal authorities with emergency management planning as well as providing education assistance;
· implementation of the initiative to develop, sustain and grow Remote Area Teams capacity from suitable volunteer fire fighters around the State;
· delivery of the SES Community Protection Planning for Flood and Storm Hazard initiative for flood policy work to support the ongoing implementation of the Government’s response to the Review of the Tasmanian Floods of June and July 2016; and
· development
of a dedicated division within the Tasmania Fire Service to manage the planning
and response to bushfire at a whole of state level over two years.
|
|
2020‑21 |
2021‑22 |
2022‑23 |
2023‑24 |
2024‑25 |
|
|
|
|
Forward |
Forward |
Forward |
|
|
Budget |
Budget |
Estimate |
Estimate |
Estimate |
|
|
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue and other income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grants1 |
11 606 |
14 999 |
9 114 |
9 901 |
7 613 |
|
Taxation2 |
79 145 |
85 393 |
88 387 |
91 534 |
94 843 |
|
Sales of goods and services |
6 383 |
6 366 |
6 493 |
6 623 |
6 755 |
|
Fees and fines |
173 |
176 |
180 |
184 |
188 |
|
Interest |
250 |
250 |
250 |
250 |
250 |
|
Other revenue |
8 502 |
8 617 |
8 645 |
8 673 |
8 702 |
|
Total revenue |
106 059 |
115 801 |
113 069 |
117 165 |
118 351 |
|
Total income |
106 059 |
115 801 |
113 069 |
117 165 |
118 351 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Employee benefits3 |
53 514 |
58 476 |
59 995 |
60 146 |
61 449 |
|
Depreciation and amortisation |
6 390 |
6 390 |
6 390 |
6 390 |
6 390 |
|
Supplies and consumables4 |
41 638 |
28 748 |
26 926 |
28 879 |
30 091 |
|
Grants and subsidies4 |
.... |
713 |
713 |
713 |
713 |
|
Borrowing costs |
83 |
35 |
35 |
35 |
35 |
|
Other expenses4 |
3 664 |
19 843 |
20 277 |
20 654 |
21 108 |
|
Total expenses |
105 289 |
114 205 |
114 336 |
116 817 |
119 786 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net result |
770 |
1 596 |
(1 267) |
348 |
(1 435) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comprehensive result |
770 |
1 596 |
(1 267) |
348 |
(1 435) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes:
1. The variation in Grants reflects the timing of funding associated with election commitments and other initiatives.
2. The increase in Taxation reflects the anticipated profile of the Fire Service Contribution and Motor Vehicle Fire Levy over the Forward Estimates.
3. The increase in Employee benefits from 2021‑22 reflects the 2021 election commitments for the Red Hot Tips Program, State Operations Centre Multi‑hazard Intelligence Team and the Fire and Emergency Services Volunteer Recruitment Teams and Secretariat.
4. The decrease in Supplies and consumables and increase in Grants and subsidies and Other expenses is due to a realignment of the budget for fuel reduction payments, national aerial firefighting contributions and workers compensation based on 30 June 2020 actuals.
|
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
|
|
|
Forward |
Forward |
Forward |
|
|
Budget |
Budget |
Estimate |
Estimate |
Estimate |
|
|
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financial assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and deposits1 |
8 819 |
11 178 |
7 194 |
4 482 |
146 |
|
Receivables |
2 734 |
2 734 |
2 734 |
2 734 |
2 734 |
|
Other financial assets |
2 481 |
2 481 |
2 481 |
2 481 |
2 481 |
|
|
14 034 |
16 393 |
12 409 |
9 697 |
5 361 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non‑financial assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inventories |
1 905 |
1 905 |
1 905 |
1 905 |
1 905 |
|
Property, plant and equipment2 |
131 793 |
128 481 |
131 398 |
134 658 |
137 929 |
|
Other assets |
1 196 |
1 196 |
1 196 |
1 196 |
1 196 |
|
|
134 894 |
131 582 |
134 499 |
137 759 |
141 030 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets |
148 928 |
147 975 |
146 908 |
147 456 |
146 391 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Payables3 |
4 499 |
8 598 |
8 798 |
8 998 |
9 198 |
|
Interest bearing liabilities3 |
2 830 |
3 830 |
3 830 |
3 830 |
4 000 |
|
Employee benefits |
14 324 |
14 324 |
14 324 |
14 324 |
14 324 |
|
Superannuation3 |
(779) |
994 |
994 |
994 |
994 |
|
Total liabilities |
20 874 |
27 746 |
27 946 |
28 146 |
28 516 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets (liabilities) |
128 054 |
120 229 |
118 962 |
119 310 |
117 875 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reserves |
45 698 |
45 698 |
45 698 |
45 698 |
45 698 |
|
Accumulated funds |
82 356 |
74 531 |
73 264 |
73 612 |
72 177 |
|
Total equity |
128 054 |
120 229 |
118 962 |
119 310 |
117 875 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes:
2. The decrease in Property, plant and equipment in 2022 reflects the completion of the aerial appliances program and the subsequent increase in 2023 reflects investment in specialist appliances and light tankers.
3. The increases in Payables, Interest bearing liabilities and Superannuation from 2022 reflects revised estimates based on 30 June 2020 actuals.
|
|
2020‑21 |
2021‑22 |
2022‑23 |
2023‑24 |
2024‑25 |
|
|
|
|
Forward |
Forward |
Forward |
|
|
Budget |
Budget |
Estimate |
Estimate |
Estimate |
|
|
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from operating activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash inflows |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grants |
11 606 |
14 999 |
9 114 |
9 901 |
7 613 |
|
Taxation |
76 679 |
85 393 |
88 387 |
91 534 |
94 843 |
|
Sales of goods and services |
6 383 |
6 366 |
6 493 |
6 623 |
6 755 |
|
Fees and fines |
173 |
176 |
180 |
184 |
188 |
|
Interest received |
250 |
250 |
250 |
250 |
250 |
|
Other cash receipts |
8 502 |
8 617 |
8 645 |
8 673 |
8 702 |
|
Total cash inflows |
103 593 |
115 801 |
113 069 |
117 165 |
118 351 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash outflows |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Employee benefits |
(47 866) |
(51 895) |
(53 219) |
(53 348) |
(54 497) |
|
Superannuation |
(5 648) |
(6 581) |
(6 776) |
(6 798) |
(6 952) |
|
Borrowing costs |
(83) |
(35) |
(35) |
(35) |
(35) |
|
Grants and subsidies |
.... |
(713) |
(713) |
(713) |
(713) |
|
Supplies and consumables |
(39 333) |
(28 908) |
(27 086) |
(29 039) |
(30 251) |
|
Other cash payments |
(3 664) |
(19 843) |
(20 277) |
(20 654) |
(21 108) |
|
Total cash outflows |
(96 594) |
(107 975) |
(108 106) |
(110 587) |
(113 556) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash from (used by) operating activities |
6 999 |
7 826 |
4 963 |
6 578 |
4 795 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from investing activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Payments for acquisition of non‑financial assets |
(9 998) |
(9 292) |
(9 297) |
(9 640) |
(9 651) |
|
Proceeds from the disposal of non‑financial assets |
300 |
350 |
350 |
350 |
350 |
|
Net cash from (used by) investing activities |
(9 698) |
(8 942) |
(8 947) |
(9 290) |
(9 301) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from financing activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net borrowings |
(1 000) |
.... |
.... |
.... |
170 |
|
Net cash from (used by) financing activities |
(1 000) |
.... |
.... |
.... |
170 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents held |
(3 699) |
(1 116) |
(3 984) |
(2 712) |
(4 336) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and deposits at the beginning of the reporting period |
12 518 |
12 294 |
11 178 |
7 194 |
4 482 |
|
Cash and deposits at the end of the reporting period |
8 819 |
11 178 |
7 194 |
4 482 |
146 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|