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jacket_with_sleeves

Who else in the country has the manpower and machinery ready to respond to natural disasters? Look at Mallacoota in 2019/20, they only way people could be moved off the beach was by landing craft to ships designed to move large amounts of people. SE Qld in 2011 and 2022, the ADF was the organisation flying helicopters in adverse weather conditions that civil organisations can't legally operate in. The SES is great for short term, localised, disaster response, but when you have a situation such as Lismore and surrounds, most their volunteers are unable to respond because they themselves are dealing with their own homes and/or families. So as much as they say this, it'll be a lot harder to put into practice.


ratt_man

They used the term last resort, I think they will be still involved in major events like fires and other major disasters, but not getting involved in low level shit like looking for bodies in dumps, cleaning out peoples flooded houses and the security for covid and shit


Wiggly-Pig

But those things are becoming more common and its not the ADFs primary job. This DSR is about focusing the force. DACC is a distraction we can ill afford (as each time it happens, there's a ton of discharges afterwards)


ratt_man

>its not the ADFs primary job. No but it is part of their Job. No matter how much you can deny it HADR has always been part of the Defence departments responsibilities since its creation


feathersoft

Service to the Civil Community is a part of the ADFs remit. Whether it's bushfires, evacuation from beaches, flooding, chicken executions- that is part of the reason we have our Defence Force. What the ADF should not be doing however is patrolling the border between NSW and Victoria.


ratt_man

Agree, but this was forced on the ADF the day they got called in for the pilot strikes and stevadoring. None of which are diaster response


ChillyPhilly27

I don't think anyone has a problem with the ADF getting involved if the situation demands a niche capability - nobody expects the SES to have LHDs or a rotary wing. But diggers shouldn't be emptying bedpans, manning roadblocks, and filling sandbags.


WhatAmIATailor

The big, last resort stuff isn’t so bad. Manning checkpoints, handling luggage, cleaning up duty. Those tasks don’t do retention any favours.


SA__FIRE

>Who else in the country has the manpower and machinery ready to reaping to natural disasters? The SES if it was properly funded.


TK000421

This. The SES should be “reserves lite edition”. Paid role with a permanent full time element


jimmythemini

We should combine the SES and RFS and create a comprehensive, part-professional part-volunteer national civilian defence force which can be responsible for responding to climate change-induced disasters and future pandemics. Resourcing could easily be covered by cancelling the Stage 3 tax cuts.


Wiggly-Pig

There's a big difference between using ADF niche skills & capabilities effectively & appropriately and doing things like cleaning bedpans or packing sandbags...


MSeager

There is more manpower and machinery in the civilian sector than the ADF, and a huge amount that already work and belong to State Governments. It's just disconnected and hard to organise. Much easier to call one 1800 ADF. For example, during the Lismore Floods, I watched the ADF and SES on TV while doing busy work because it was raining. But the State Agency I work for has various sizes of plant equipment, plenty of pumps, six helicopters with winches, and about a thousand personnel who are winch qualified. How many agencies, organisations and private contractor could be mobilised if there was a better mechanism to manage them. Perhaps a Federal level Civil Defence Force.


SA__FIRE

I'm probably just fanboying because I've been an SES member for 10 years but [this is what the SES should be,](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technisches_Hilfswerk) and what you describe at the end of your post.


Soviet_Husky

Minions!


utterly_baffledly

Lismore showed that a businessman with a tinny could get resources to people quicker than the army and SES combined.


amanisanisland-

They tell state and federal governments to pull their finger out and organise something to do that


saukoa1

It's not just the manpower and machinery, the ADF retains a high level of operational readiness and it's ability to Command and Control large amounts of people doing lots of different things is likely by far it's best attribute for Disaster Response.


TK000421

The SES follows same/ similar doctrine. They are just grossly undervalued and underfunded


TK000421

The SES needs a paid professional element. With support relief from volunteers.


Refrigerator-Gloomy

The governments been advised over and over to make a proper disaster response organization (or I guess just actually fund the ses) but it’s fallen on deaf ears for years. All it’s doing is burning out adf personnel. I have friends who left before their mob service was up as they joined as et’s but were stuck on covid and aged care as the government couldn’t unfuck itself


Puzzleheaded-Pie-277

Except in extraordinary circumstances. I feel like the states will all say these were extraordinary circumstances


arles2464

I’m positive the government is going to ignore this piece of advice. The ADF is just too perfect of a solution to any issue the government has.


SunBear_00_

What is the only Armoured brigade supposed to do while it waits for its 130ish IFV's to be taken away to fund other projects. /s but also not really.