The primary purpose of the State Fire Commission is to minimise the social, economic and environmental impact on the Tasmanian community of fire and other emergencies. This is achieved through implementing strategies for the Tasmania Fire Service and the State Emergency 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.
Under governance arrangements established in 2014‑15, the State Emergency Service also reports through the Chief Officer of the Tasmania Fire Service. These arrangements build upon existing relationships between volunteer organisations across the broader emergency services spectrum and reflect the close alignment in the delivery of services.
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 2022‑23 and over the Forward Estimates (2023‑24 to 2025‑26). Further information on the Commission can be found at www.fire.tas.gov.au.
Table 27.1 provides a summary of the Budget and Forward Estimates allocations for key deliverables being undertaken by the Commission.
|
|
2022‑23
Budget |
2023‑24 Forward Estimate |
2024‑25 Forward Estimate |
2025‑26 Forward Estimate |
|
|
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Automated Regional Sandbag Filling Machines1 |
210 |
.... |
.... |
.... |
|
Fire and Emergency Services Volunteer Grants Program1 |
500 |
.... |
.... |
.... |
|
Operationalise Sorell Emergency Services Hub1 |
420 |
.... |
.... |
.... |
|
Remote Area Teams1 |
160 |
160 |
160 |
160 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note:
1. Funding for this initiative is appropriated to the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management. For more information refer to chapter 9 of this Budget Paper.
This initiative provides for the procurement of automated sandbag filling machines to increase the State Emergency Service capability to respond to flood risk within Tasmanian communities.
This funding is provided to continue an existing initiative that provides for all Volunteer Units from the TFS and the SES to apply for upgrades to equipment. This brings the total funding for this initiative to $2 million over the Budget and Forward Estimates.
This initiative will provide additional resources for the new Sorell SES Unit, including rescue vehicles and a storm trailer. This will ensure that when the Sorell Emergency Services Hub is complete, volunteers can respond to emergency events as required.
This initiative will continue to develop, sustain and grow the Remote Area Teams capacity from suitable volunteer firefighters around the State. Selected volunteers will undergo helicopter insertion training and gain firefighting skills in this specialised field.
In addition to the key deliverables identified in the above table, the ongoing key deliverables for the State Fire Commission include:
· continuation of the Volunteer Brigade Equipment Upgrades initiative to provide standardised equipment to volunteer brigades and units in areas such as personal protective equipment and communications;
· implementation of the Firefighting 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;
· continuation of the Fuel Reduction Program and bushfire risk reduction activities across the State;
· Regional emergency management planning and development to support municipal authorities with emergency management planning as well as providing education assistance; and
· ongoing delivery of SES Community Protection Planning for Flood and Storm Hazard initiatives.
|
|
2021‑22 |
2022‑23 |
2023‑24 |
2024‑25 |
2025‑26 |
|
|
|
|
Forward |
Forward |
Forward |
|
|
Budget |
Budget |
Estimate |
Estimate |
Estimate |
|
|
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue and other income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grants1 |
14 999 |
10 350 |
9 668 |
7 375 |
5 258 |
|
Taxation2 |
85 393 |
92 675 |
96 824 |
101 139 |
105 629 |
|
Sales of goods and services |
6 366 |
6 493 |
6 623 |
6 755 |
6 890 |
|
Fees and fines3 |
176 |
.... |
.... |
.... |
.... |
|
Interest |
250 |
250 |
250 |
250 |
250 |
|
Other revenue3 |
8 617 |
9 110 |
9 164 |
9 218 |
9 272 |
|
Total revenue |
115 801 |
118 878 |
122 529 |
124 737 |
127 299 |
|
Total income |
115 801 |
118 878 |
122 529 |
124 737 |
127 299 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Employee benefits |
58 476 |
60 346 |
60 505 |
61 816 |
63 269 |
|
Depreciation and amortisation |
6 390 |
6 390 |
6 390 |
6 390 |
6 390 |
|
Supplies and consumables4 |
28 748 |
39 176 |
40 834 |
42 147 |
41 032 |
|
Grants and subsidies |
713 |
.... |
.... |
.... |
.... |
|
Borrowing costs |
35 |
35 |
35 |
35 |
.... |
|
Other expenses5 |
19 843 |
16 611 |
16 883 |
17 231 |
17 588 |
|
Total expenses |
114 205 |
122 558 |
124 647 |
127 619 |
128 279 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net result |
1 596 |
(3 680) |
(2 118) |
(2 882) |
(980) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comprehensive result |
1 596 |
(3 680) |
(2 118) |
(2 882) |
(980) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes:
1. The decrease in Grants reflects the cessation of fixed‑term funding arrangements for previous Budget initiatives.
2. The increase in Taxation reflects the anticipated profile of the revenue from the Fire Service Contribution, Insurance Fire Levy and Motor Vehicle Fire Levy over the Forward Estimates.
3. The decrease in Fees and fines and increase in Other revenue reflects a reclassification of revenues.
4. The increase in Supplies and consumables primarily reflects the profile of expenditure for previous Budget initiatives.
5. The variation in Other expenses reflects the completion of funding associated with the Australian Fire Danger Rating System project, a variation to the timing of recruit course expenditure and the conclusion of other initiatives.
|
|
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
2026 |
|
|
|
|
Forward |
Forward |
Forward |
|
|
Budget |
Budget |
Estimate |
Estimate |
Estimate |
|
|
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financial assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and deposits1 |
11 178 |
9 567 |
3 385 |
(3 864) |
(8 380) |
|
Receivables |
2 734 |
3 554 |
3 554 |
3 554 |
3 554 |
|
Other financial assets |
2 481 |
2 481 |
2 481 |
2 481 |
2 481 |
|
|
16 393 |
15 602 |
9 420 |
2 171 |
(2 345) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non‑financial assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inventories |
1 905 |
1 905 |
1 905 |
1 905 |
1 905 |
|
Property, plant and equipment2 |
128 481 |
129 176 |
132 440 |
136 177 |
139 914 |
|
Other assets |
1 196 |
1 196 |
1 196 |
1 196 |
1 196 |
|
|
131 582 |
132 277 |
135 541 |
139 278 |
143 015 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets |
147 975 |
147 879 |
144 961 |
141 449 |
140 670 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Payables |
8 598 |
8 798 |
8 998 |
9 198 |
9 398 |
|
Interest bearing liabilities3 |
3 830 |
1 830 |
830 |
.... |
.... |
|
Employee benefits4 |
14 324 |
11 981 |
11 981 |
11 981 |
11 982 |
|
Superannuation |
994 |
994 |
994 |
994 |
994 |
|
Total liabilities |
27 746 |
23 603 |
22 803 |
22 173 |
22 374 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets (liabilities) |
120 229 |
124 276 |
122 158 |
119 276 |
118 296 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reserves |
45 698 |
45 698 |
45 698 |
45 698 |
45 698 |
|
Accumulated funds |
74 531 |
78 578 |
76 460 |
73 578 |
72 598 |
|
Total equity |
120 229 |
124 276 |
122 158 |
119 276 |
118 296 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes:
1. The Commission has reflected temporary borrowings as negative cash, pending reclassification. This has no impact on net assets and net debt.
2. The increase in Property, plant and equipment reflects planned investment in fire appliances and station improvements at Campbell Town, Marrawah, Southport, Derby, Bridport and Wynyard.
3. The decrease in Interest bearing liabilities reflects the repayment of a loan held by the Commission.
4. The decrease in Employee benefits in 2023 reflects an anticipated increase in the use of leave benefits that have accumulated during the COVID‑19 pandemic.
|
|
2021‑22 |
2022‑23 |
2023‑24 |
2024‑25 |
2025‑26 |
|
|
|
|
Forward |
Forward |
Forward |
|
|
Budget |
Budget |
Estimate |
Estimate |
Estimate |
|
|
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
$'000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from operating activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash inflows |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grants |
14 999 |
10 350 |
9 668 |
7 375 |
5 258 |
|
Taxation |
85 393 |
92 675 |
96 824 |
101 139 |
105 629 |
|
Sales of goods and services |
6 366 |
6 493 |
6 623 |
6 755 |
6 890 |
|
Fees and fines |
176 |
180 |
184 |
188 |
192 |
|
Interest received |
250 |
250 |
250 |
250 |
250 |
|
Other cash receipts |
8 617 |
8 930 |
8 980 |
9 030 |
9 080 |
|
Total cash inflows |
115 801 |
118 878 |
122 529 |
124 737 |
127 299 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash outflows |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Employee benefits |
(51 895) |
(53 570) |
(53 707) |
(54 864) |
(56 153) |
|
Superannuation |
(6 581) |
(6 776) |
(6 798) |
(6 952) |
(7 115) |
|
Borrowing costs |
(35) |
(35) |
(35) |
(35) |
.... |
|
Grants and subsidies |
(713) |
.... |
.... |
.... |
.... |
|
Supplies and consumables |
(28 908) |
(38 978) |
(40 634) |
(41 947) |
(40 832) |
|
Other cash payments |
(19 843) |
(16 611) |
(16 883) |
(17 231) |
(17 588) |
|
Total cash outflows |
(107 975) |
(115 970) |
(118 057) |
(121 029) |
(121 688) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash from (used by) operating activities |
7 826 |
2 908 |
4 472 |
3 708 |
5 611 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from investing activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Payments for acquisition of non‑financial assets |
(9 292) |
(9 366) |
(10 004) |
(10 477) |
(10 477) |
|
Proceeds from the disposal of non‑financial assets |
350 |
350 |
350 |
350 |
350 |
|
Net cash from (used by) investing activities |
(8 942) |
(9 016) |
(9 654) |
(10 127) |
(10 127) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from financing activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net borrowings |
.... |
(1 000) |
(1 000) |
(830) |
.... |
|
Net cash from (used by) financing activities |
.... |
(1 000) |
(1 000) |
(830) |
.... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents held |
(1 116) |
(7 108) |
(6 182) |
(7 249) |
(4 516) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and deposits at the beginning of the reporting period |
12 294 |
16 675 |
9 567 |
3 385 |
(3 864) |
|
Cash and deposits at the end of the reporting period |
11 178 |
9 567 |
3 385 |
(3 864) |
(8 380) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|