Release report on SES plea

REGIONAL mayors have called on the state government to urgently release a report on a review into the SES.

The review was presented to the Queensland government in July last year.

This follows the new Regional Queensland Council of Mayors Incorporated meeting in Mackay this week.

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said the group had written to Emergency Services Minister Mark Ryan, the state government and other stakeholders to ask for the report to be released urgently.

“It is now more than eight months since the state received the report,” Cr Hill said.

Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson said the SES was critical to regional communities.

“It is very disturbing to have a cyclone hovering off the Queensland coast and to know that a report on the SES has been sitting with the state government for eight months with no action,” he said.

Burdekin MP Dale Last said it was an absolute disgrace that it had not been released.

He said the SES played a vital role during disasters.

“We have already heard in recent weeks from multiple SES units that personnel numbers are dwindling. This is not something that has happened overnight and I would be extremely concerned if a report explaining why this is occurring and what needs to be done to reverse this is being tucked away in a drawer,” he said.

Minister Ryan said the government was considering the report.

“As I said during Estimates when asked about this matter, as a matter of principle, my view is that reports of this nature be released publicly at the appropriate time,” Mr Ryan said.