[TobaccoNUE]

Push for nationwide phone alerts
Fri, Feb 13, 2009
The Straits Times




KINGLAKE (AUSTRALIA): - The federal government said yesterday it will clear away hurdles that have stalled a nationwide fire alert telephone system, after thousands of people were caught off-guard by the deadliest wildfires in Australia's history.

Privacy laws and bickering between state officials over funding has snarled the plan for years, The Australian newspaper reported yesterday.

But there is a new urgency after the weekend blazes in Victoria state killed at least 181 people. Officials said the death toll could exceed 200.

Attorney-General Robert McClelland said a plan for a telephone fire alert system had been before the government since 2004, but state governments had not endorsed it and that changes were required to federal privacy laws that bar private numbers from being handed out to emergency services.

Mr McClelland said another reason the system had not been implemented was that officials had to be sure it would not crash communications systems used by emergency services.

The verdict:
It always take a tragedy before any legislation overcomes obstacles. The plan for the telephone alert was raised in 2004, and after 4 years, nothing was done. And after sacrificing 181 people, with the entire city wipe out, that the govt was slapped on the face and decided to push the system to work. What a joke for a great nation like OZ.

[grudabor]

"And after sacrificing 181 people, with the entire city wipe out, that the govt was slapped on the face and decided to push the system to work. What a joke for a great nation like OZ."

johnsg1, the joke is on you. mate. you are no diff from an arm chair critic the size of a tiny red dot.

if you have no idea of dry lightning strikes, arsonist motives, the type of gum tree forest, the rural area and the weather, i suggest you refrain from commenting because it is making you look like a clown.

If aussies know that poor govt policies are behind this disaster, you will already see protest marches on the street.

this policy is a waste of taxpayers money. why is it that only after such tragic incidents that they revive dumb difficult-to-implement policies?

I do not think the singapore govt is capable of implementing good policies if it runs a continent the size of Australia. Everyday, some disgrunted senior citizen will light bushfires over its millionnaire ministers' policies.

[grudabor]

At least $100m has been donated for the Vic Bushfire. Well done.
If this tragic event has anything to learnt from, the good has trumped ove the bad.

So what, some fires are started by arsonist, one has been identified as a loner, some lootings have occur, fraud donations cracked down

- but overwhelmingly, it is the
CFA volunteers,
The ADF soldiers,
the state premier who go around comforting people,
the state chief police commissioner on site to coordinate effort
the amimal carers
The Salvos, Red cross and 100s of NGOs (Some are setting up new permanent stores to help the victims - these people are here for the long haul it takes to rebuild the homes)

The kind of help the people are giving is amazing.
Even the ruling and opposition politicans are doing their bit.

The size of the bushfire can be sky from outer space.
The smoke from the fire reaches NZ.



The small country towns affected ...


The burnt area = 7 Singapores !!!

[sbrpkkl]

You can't blame this person. He is so used to just reading all the rosy things in the 154th that even a killing of a bug in someone's house spells disaster for him. When I was in the UK, there were so many news reported about muggers, strikes and disasters, why there were two cases of bombs that had gone off in London planted by terrorists. There were some talks on that day but the very next day, people went back to their notmal businesses. Many Sinkees are just not aware that being a Sinkee in Singapore makes them more like a kitten that would die when its put in a forest.

[grudabor]

"And after sacrificing 181 people, with the entire city wipe out, that the govt was slapped on the face and decided to push the system to work. What a joke for a great nation like OZ."

this policy is a waste of taxpayers money. why is it that only after such tragic incidents that they revive dumb difficult-to-implement policies?

I do not think the singapore govt is capable of implementing good policies if it runs a continent the size of Australia. Everyday, some disgrunted senior citizen will light bushfires over its millionnaire ministers' policies.

There will be other polcies with better foresights in the coming months -
such as setting up better firebreak containment lines, using better fire-resist building materials, modern fire retarding chemicals to protect dwellings housing the trapped.

Bushfires spread so quickly that they "jump" from one place to another.

Remember, unlike Singapore where the govt operates on its own. Over in Australia, there are many processes to ensure the govts do their jobs.

[VomsVomaMew]

Singapore Ausnet reportedly facing lawsuit over Australian bush fires

SINGAPORE : Reports in Australian media say Singapore majority—owned electricity firm SP Ausnet is facing a class action lawsuit from some survivors of the recent Australian bush fires.
ADVERTISEMENT

They are alleging that a downed power line sparked one of the blazes.

The fire that spread last week through Kinglake, about 50 kilometres north of Melbourne, was one of the most ferocious — killing at least 100 people and destroying about a thousand homes.

"The Age" newspaper reported that police investigating the cause of the fires had apparently removed a length of fallen cable and a power pole as evidence.

However, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon told Australia’s Channel Nine Television that authorities are still trying to determine just how the Kinglake fire started.

SP Ausnet, which is 51 per cent owned by Singapore Power Limited, said in a statement that its priority was restoring power to fire—affected areas, and that it stood ready to assist relevant authorities with their inquiries, if necessary.

When contacted by Channel NewsAsia, Singapore Power, its parent company, declined to comment. — CNA/ms

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/2009021...s-231650b.html


Is Singapore partially responsible for the fires then? According to the logic of the thread starter the answer would be yes.

[grudabor]

You can't blame this person. He is so used to just reading all the rosy things in the 154th that even a killing of a bug in someone's house spells disaster for him. When I was in the UK, there were so many news reported about muggers, strikes and disasters, why there were two cases of bombs that had gone off in London planted by terrorists. There were some talks on that day but the very next day, people went back to their notmal businesses. Many Sinkees are just not aware that being a Sinkee in Singapore makes them more like a kitten that would die when its put in a forest.

I wonder what will a Singaporean tourist think if he/she got stuck in London in one of those famous mid-week summer Underground station strikes. Not sure if it is a regular event these days, but strikes were common in the past.

Not forgetting the regular fire/flood/signal faults on the Underground, and we have to detour. Then we had the IRA incidents.

154th is doing Singaporeans a disservice. The world is not a perfect place, unless the person chose to live in the bottom of a well.

[TobaccoNUE]

"And after sacrificing 181 people, with the entire city wipe out, that the govt was slapped on the face and decided to push the system to work. What a joke for a great nation like OZ."

johnsg1, the joke is on you. mate. you are no diff from an arm chair critic the size of a tiny red dot.

if you have no idea of dry lightning strikes, arsonist motives, the type of gum tree forest, the rural area and the weather, i suggest you refrain from commenting because it is making you look like a clown.

If aussies know that poor govt policies are behind this disaster, you will already see protest marches on the street.

this policy is a waste of taxpayers money. why is it that only after such tragic incidents that they revive dumb difficult-to-implement policies?

I do not think the singapore govt is capable of implementing good policies if it runs a continent the size of Australia. Everyday, some disgrunted senior citizen will light bushfires over its millionnaire ministers' policies.

Come on, you can talk like a pro but if nothing was done, nothing will be done...if a non pro like you can already list down the potential danger that can cause forest fires, don't you think those high paid civil servants ought to know and need to act on preventive measures years ago??
Instead the option was given to them if they should run or stay back to defend their home....
and u slap yourself a 2nd time, if u think this policy is a waste of taxpayer money, why do ur efficient govt want to implement the policy asap now??
And why no protest against this stupid policy??

thanks God Sin govt do not need to run such a big continent, if not we will see a big mess like in China, USA, Aust, malaysia, thailand, Philippines...the list are too long, you can help me to add....haha.....

[grudabor]

Come on, you can talk like a pro but if nothing was done, nothing will be done...if a non pro like you can already list down the potential danger that can cause forest fires, don't you think those high paid civil servants ought to know and need to act on preventive measures years ago??
Instead the option was given to them if they should run or stay back to defend their home....
and u slap yourself a 2nd time, if u think this policy is a waste of taxpayer money, why do ur efficient govt want to implement the policy asap now??
And why no protest against this stupid policy??

thanks God Sin govt do not need to run such a big continent, if not we will see a big mess like in China, USA, Aust, malaysia, thailand, Philippines...the list are too long, you can help me to add....haha.....

1. We have a democractic system here, if you think you know better, you should be running the govt.

2. At least over here, we know what is going on. In Singapore, everything is solved by one word, efficiency. So, you people have been slapping yourselves without knowing ~ because PAP policy is not for you people to know too much.

3. Lucky for big continent, more opportunities and diversity. One SARs will not wipe out the population. Moreover, with Singapore's high density living, people are getting infections easily and suffer from poor eyesight. You may not even notice your own sufferings.