- More than25,000 hours of supervised prisoner fire mitigation work delivered across Western Australia
- Supervised, trained minimum-security prisoners have helped reduce bushfire risks across 900,000 hectares
- Fulfilling a key election commitment, the Cook Government will fund extra equipment for the program to further strengthen WA's bushfire preparedness
Western Australia's fight against bushfires has been strengthened with trained and supervised prisoner crews completing more than 25,000 hours of fire mitigation work.
The partnership between the Departments of Justice and Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) has been operating successfully for four years.
Following the initiative's major milestone, a State-wide expansion of the fire mitigation program is being planned as part of a Cook Government election commitment.
The minimum-security Section 95 crews, under prison staff supervision, have helped protect almost 900,000 hectares of high-risk land.
Work includes reducing fuel loads by clearing vegetation, cutting firebreaks, maintaining fencing and hydrants, and improving access tracks.
Section 95 crews also support aerial firefighting operations through water bomber refuelling, in partnership with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
These efforts have helped ease pressure on frontline firefighting crews, reduced bushfire threats to communities, and delivered significant savings to taxpayers.
Crews from Karnet, Wooroloo, and Pardelup prison farms, Bunbury and Greenough regional prisons, and the Dowerin Work Camp have all contributed to the State-wide effort.
By supporting the community - and their own rehabilitation - prisoners set themselves up with job-ready skills, earning National Unit of Competency qualifications from the fire mitigation training.
Section 95 of the Prisons Act 1981 enables minimum security prisoners to work in the community through a range of supervised programs.
As stated by Corrective Services and Emergency Services Minister Paul Papalia:
"This multi-agency partnership has had a real impact on reducing the risk of bushfire for communities around the State, allowing our firefighting resources to be diverted to the frontline.
"The more than 25,000 hours of fire mitigation work has taken heat off our firefighters, made WA communities safer, and saved hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars.
"As part of its election commitment, the Cook Government is providing funds to purchase more equipment which will allow DFES and Justice to expand this program and get more work done.
"These kinds of initiatives give prisoners practical skills and qualifications that strongly support their rehabilitation and enable them to make a meaningful contribution to the community."
