We want Elvis back

SUMMER is almost upon us, bringing with it the start of the holiday season.
Around our nation, families pack the car and head for the beaches or camping in the bush.
The smell of sausages sizzling on the barbecue lingers in the air, sparking happy memories for many.
However, for some, summer does not bring joy but fear as it also signals the start of the bushfire season.
Each year we prepare for the worst but hope for the best.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s grim warning that the Dandenong Ranges is at extreme fire risk this summer – experiencing its worst fire conditions for 15 years – is a timely reminder to begin preparing our homes for the bushfire season.
Our dedicated local Country Fire Authority brigades have protected the hills from fire many times.
Many of our local brigades couldn’t survive without the loyal volunteers who balance their commitment to volunteer firefighting with full time jobs and family commitments, a truly selfless act. We must provide our CFA brigades with as much support needed to fight the bushfire threat. This means equipping them with the most advanced technology to fight fires.
Each year, the Australian Government leases several Erickson Sky Cranes, such as Elvis and Incredible Hulk, from the United States to assist in the fight against ferocious bushfires.
The sky cranes have been used with success in some of Australia’s most catastrophic fires, including the 2003 Canberra bushfires, and last year’s Gippsland bushfires, dropping up to 114,000 litres of water every hour.
The Erickson Sky Cranes are the most effective tool in aerial firefighting, being able to draw water from water sources as shallow as 45cm deep, able to refill in less than 45 seconds, and carrying as much as 10,000 litres per load.
This year, I have been informed that the Government is leasing five sky cranes, with two allocated to Victoria.
I have written to the Prime Minister strongly urging him to place a sky crane on stand-by to help the Dandenong Ranges in crisis.
The Dandenong Ranges are in the top-two most fire-prone regions in the world, second only to California, making the sky cranes an essential addition to the CFA’s firefighting effort this summer.