The closest water-bombing aircraft during a bushfire might be as little as 30 kilometres away, but does not register with authorities because of state border in between.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Now Hancock Victorian Plantations, which was hit by bushfires across Victoria over summer, wants state borders removed when it comes to coordinating water-bombing aircraft.
Corporate fire manager Ruth Ryan gave evidence on Tuesday at the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements.
"I'd certainly like to see the state borders dissolved effectively, especially for aerial support, where the closest aircraft respond to every fire," she said.
"It is all about that common training, common systems, common equipment ... Because we're fighting the one fire, we'd really like to be able to fight it most effectively."
IN OTHER NEWS:
There were 6300 hectares of HVP plantation burnt during the summer bushfires.
Ms Ryan said the aircraft stationed at Mount Gambier, about 10 kilometres into South Australia from the Victorian border, was not always found as the closest aircraft for Victorian fires
"We generally have a common fireground channel that we can find on state border, but the dispatch systems are completely separated," she said.
"If I'm sitting 20 kilometres inside the Victorian border, unless I get another radio in my vehicle, I cannot hear what's happening in South Australia as far as dispatch."
Ms Ryan's submission to the Royal Commission outlined how the company's two water-bombing aircraft, leased for 10 weeks of the year, were used for better speed, access and observation.
"HVP aircraft are type 3 helicopters, the smallest firebombing helicopters. Their greatest effectiveness is in rapid first attack of small fires, as soon as possible following detection. Frequently our dispatches are to fire outside of our plantation estate," she stated.
But she told commissioners on Tuesday that smoke sometimes caused problems in the air.
"It obstructs the aircraft from actually getting to the seat of the flames," Ms Ryan said.
"Most of the operations were done on the flanks of the fires rather than near the head fire."
