Related News
Australian state hikes firefighting funds
Source: Agencies |
May 3, 2009, Sunday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
THE Australian state that suffered deadly wildfires earlier this year hopes to prevent a recurrence of the tragedy with record spending on fire trucks and communications equipment, a newspaper reported today.
A firefighting budget of 204 million Australian dollars (US$149 million) is expected to be part of the Victoria state budget announced Tuesday, the state's Herald Sun newspaper reported in an exclusive story.
It said the budget includes money to buy 87 new fire trucks and more than 50 tankers. It also provides more than A$20 million (US$15 million) to upgrade radio and pager networks used by emergency services and A$110 million (US$80 million) to boost the emergency telephone line capacity.
The Feb. 7 fires killed 173 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes. The speed and ferocity of the fires overwhelmed the County Fire Authority, and in some cases all its manpower and equipment were battling one front while the fire roared through another area, nearly wiping out several towns.
Victims have complained that they had no notice of the fires.
Last Thursday, federal and state leaders agreed to create a national disaster alert telephone service that has been stalled for five years by bickering over costs. The A$15 million (US$11 million) phone network will automatically send warnings for a range of disasters to cell phones and landlines.
A firefighting budget of 204 million Australian dollars (US$149 million) is expected to be part of the Victoria state budget announced Tuesday, the state's Herald Sun newspaper reported in an exclusive story.
It said the budget includes money to buy 87 new fire trucks and more than 50 tankers. It also provides more than A$20 million (US$15 million) to upgrade radio and pager networks used by emergency services and A$110 million (US$80 million) to boost the emergency telephone line capacity.
The Feb. 7 fires killed 173 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes. The speed and ferocity of the fires overwhelmed the County Fire Authority, and in some cases all its manpower and equipment were battling one front while the fire roared through another area, nearly wiping out several towns.
Victims have complained that they had no notice of the fires.
Last Thursday, federal and state leaders agreed to create a national disaster alert telephone service that has been stalled for five years by bickering over costs. The A$15 million (US$11 million) phone network will automatically send warnings for a range of disasters to cell phones and landlines.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
