Speech to the United Fire Brigades' Association annual conference
Kia ora tatou. Thank you for inviting me to Christchurch today to speak to your annual conference. It is good to be here.
Today I want to acknowledge the valuable work you do in our community. I want to touch on some of the challenges we face, and on the Government's priorities for the Fire Service.
There is a line on the UFBA website that sums up what firefighters and fire brigades mean to us a nation. It says:
Fire brigades serve their communities, are drawn from their communities and reflect their communities.
In so many cases it now is the fire brigade that is the focal point of a community representing the ideals of that community while maintaining the safety of the community.
Christchurch is a fitting place to hold this year's conference, with the Christchurch Fire Brigade celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.
The Brigade formally began in 1860, which makes it of the oldest organisations in the country. Congratulations to you, and I'm sure the Christchurch public appreciates your efforts over the past century and a half.
Christchurch is also where the United Fire Brigades' Association was formed back in 1878. Since then, the UFBA has had a long, proud history that not many organisations in New Zealand can match.
And the fact your membership is still high after all these years shows that your role is as significant as ever.
As fire services have changed and expanded, so too has the UFBA. It still acts as the consolidated voice for fire brigades, but now it also holds competitions and provides support for firefighters.
It runs programs like the UFBA benevolent trust fund and accident scheme, both of which offer crucial support to firefighters at difficult times. It also provides recognition for long service through its service honours schemes.
Everyone in this room will appreciate that today's fire services are very different from when delegates from 1878, when nine brigades met in the library of the Lichfield Street Fire Station to establish the Association.
We now use technologies and tools that would seem like magic to our forebears. Even more profound are the changes in the way society is organised and governed.
One thing, however, has not changed. After 150 plus years, volunteers are still an essential part of our fire services.
Previous Ministers speaking to your annual conference have commented on the role of volunteers in fire brigades and I would like to add my thoughts.
Many community services survive because of volunteers who freely give their time. These contributions enrich our communities, they make us more resilient and they help define the character of our nation.
There is something unique about Fire Brigades though. There are not many groups that require volunteers to put down their tools, their pens, their children, or whatever they are holding, day or night, and rush off to perform what can be very dangerous duties.
Yet this is exactly what many of you here do.
I've visited many fire brigades in my role as Minister and as local MP for Otaki, just north of Wellington. I've always been hugely impressed at the dedication and work ethic of volunteers.
And of course, being involved in your local brigade does brings personal benefits. It gives you skills that can be applied elsewhere.
It gives experience in disciplined teamwork, leadership, and the ability to literally make life and death decisions under pressure. These are valuable skills in their own right, and I'm sure they are valued by employers.
I want to acknowledge employers as well, because they can be very understanding when their staff have to dash off.
I'm told the Fire Service Commission is piloting a program that recognises the employers of volunteer firefighters. The Fire Service brand is well known and respected. The ability to connect with this brand will appeal to many businesses that have firefighters in their workforce.
I hope this kind of initiative continues to be rolled out around the country.
In terms of support to brigades, I'm pleased to announce the Commission has agreed to increase its grants to volunteer fire brigades by 6.8 percent, effective from April. This brings it to a total of $3.6 million.
While I'm told that volunteer firefighter numbers are holding up, pressures are growing on volunteers' time, across the whole community.
Staffing volunteer stations with people who can respond within 5 minutes of an incident can be tough to comply with. Compliance may become more even more difficult in the future.
Changing work patterns, demographics and on-going training requirements, among other things, all place demands on volunteers.
It's a common concern in many parts of the world and there are no simple answers.
This is why I've asked the Fire Service Commission to continue to pay particular attention to actively supporting and sustaining the volunteer firefighter base.
Changes in the makeup of society will continue to have an impact. One of your guest speakers, Bernard Salt, will be talking in more detail about this, but I want to touch on a few facts.
Over the next fifty years, the proportion of people over 65 compared to those under 65 will double.
In 2006, 18 people out of 100 were over 65.
By 2061, 45 people out of 100 will be over 65.
For every person currently over 65, there are roughly 5.4 people of working age.
In 2061 there will only be 2.2 people of working age for every person over 65.
This will be a major shift in the make-up of our communities, and has implications for many areas of life across New Zealand.
It will certainly have a big impact on the delivery of fire services.
Older people are more susceptible to death and injury in fires than others. And it will put pressure on the volunteer pool, because there will be more people to protect but less people to do the protecting.
The rise in the number of people commuting to work will leave a smaller pool of people to volunteer in many satellite towns.
At the same time, some of our towns and cities are growing very quickly. An example close to my home is the population explosion in Paraparaumu and along the Kapiti Coast. These areas have some of the fastest rates of growth in New Zealand. Increases in population often increase the number of emergency calls.
Because of this, in Paraparaumu we now have a composite station with full time firefighters alongside the existing volunteer brigade.
And it's not just society that's changed, but the nature of fires.
Our houses catch fire less often but when they do, they can burn much faster. The smoke is now often more toxic.
Part of my job as Minister of Internal Affairs is to make sure that the legislation and the organisations that form our fire services, urban and rural, volunteer and paid, can adapt to these changes.
As the Minister responsible for the Fire Service Commission I've had two main priorities over the last year.
The first goal is to support the National Rural Fire Authority in its strategy to encourage the amalgamation of rural fire authorities.
Let me tell you a bit more about rural firefighting.
We currently have over 80 rural Fire Authorities, with varying resources and expertise. This can lead to double-ups of resources in some places and stretched resources in others.
It also means variability in standards in fire permitting, weather monitoring, and fire crew training.
There are real benefits to be gained from voluntary amalgamation. We can improve the management of rural fire and make rural Fire Authorities more effective in their planning, fire prevention work and education.
All of these things should have positive flow-on effects for everyone involved in providing fire protection.
I'm keen to see a stronger rural fire sector emerge that is better able to plan for the control of wildfires and to have a dedicated focus on rural fire management.
I've been around the country meeting and discussing this issue, with the help of Murray Dudfield, National Rural Fire Officer at the New Zealand Fire Service.
Before Christmas I was in Nelson and Marlborough meeting with stakeholders, and in Wellington Murray and myself have been meeting with Government Ministers to brief them on this issue.
We want the process to be voluntary, and there has been a positive reaction so far.
My second priority as Minister is improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the fire sector.
This is in line with the Government's objectives for the whole public sector of providing better value for money.
We've been hearing about the world financial crisis for some time now and it seems we are probably through the worst of it. But the fact remains that it has had a major impact on the country and most people will probably have been affected in one way or another. The effects of the crisis will continue to be felt throughout the economy for some years to come.
To give you an example of the scale of the impact: even now the Government borrows around $240 million every week to meet its spending commitments. That's not for anything new - it's just to pay the bills.
In his Statement to Parliament recently the Prime Minister stressed the need for better public services for less money. The Government will continue to drive savings in the public sector, demand stronger performance from government agencies and lift the quality of public services.
The Government is facing increased scrutiny - as it should - of how it spends taxpayers' money, and how it accounts for its spending decisions.
It's the same for private businesses, voluntary groups, individuals and families across the country who have had to tighten their belt and make priorities on spending. The government is no different.
This expectation is the same for the Fire Service as it is for all other Government organisations. The public deserves to know that it is receiving the best service for the lowest cost.
The Fire Service Commission of course does not receive funding directly from the taxpayer. But as part of the wider public service it too will be challenged to continue to demonstrate value for money.
As Minister I'm well aware that the current fire legislation, the Fire Service Act and the Forest and Rural Fires Act, is out-dated and in a number of areas struggles to reflect current and emerging practice.
This will increasingly limit the ability of our services, urban and rural, to adapt to changes taking place in society and the changing demands placed on them.
I do not intend to seek changes to either act in this Parliamentary term, but as many of those who have talked to me have said, we can't keep putting these things off.
I've had suggestions from many people and organisations to change this or that part of the legislation. Of course, not all of the suggestions are agreed by everyone or consistent with each other. However, making progress on some of the outstanding issues is something I'd like to accomplish in the next term of this Government.
I want to emphasise though that the Government will not be joining together the rural and urban fire services.
Finally, I was pleased to attend last year's Queen's Birthday Luncheon held to honour the recipients of Queen's Service Medals. Bill Hutchinson, Frank Macereth and Paul Sampson all received their Queen's Service Medals for Services to the New Zealand Fire Service.
Mike Aamodt and Bob Robertson, both volunteer firefighters, were honoured for their service to the community, and Major Simon Strombom, a volunteer from Titahi Bay, received the New Zealand Distinguished Service decoration for services to the New Zealand Defence Force. Congratulations to them all.
Also, Martin Berryman, Roy Breeze, Peter Hallett, Owen Kinsella and Gary Talbot all received Queen's Service Medals for Services to the New Zealand Fire Service in the New Years Honours list. Well done.
One thing that struck me about the award recipients is how much they are involved in other community activities beyond their contribution to firefighting.
Finally, can I thank you again for coming to this conference and for the selfless work you do in our communities.
As I've outlined, we do face challenges in the future, but this has always been the case for fire brigades. We can meet these challenges by building on the strong traditions that have been established over the last 150 years.
I'm keen to ensure that in my time as Minister both rural and urban fire services are well placed to adapt to these future challenges.
I'm sure this conference will give you many ideas to take home to your brigades and the competitions will provide the chance to ably demonstrate your firefighting skills.
Thank you for inviting me and I wish you a successful conference.