(Embargoed until 2.00pm today) South East Region Communications Centre to Stay on Coast

Emergency Services Minister, Neil Roberts today announced the South East region Communications Centre (SEComm) would remain at its current location at Southport.

“The original plan was to move SEComm to Brisbane as part of the new integrated Queensland Emergency Operations Centre (QEOC) to be built at Kedron Park,” he said.

The decision to retain the communication centre on the Gold Coast followed a recent review of the State’s emergency communication needs.

This review identified three key reasons to reverse the move:

·a staffed redundant site like SEComm was needed to immediately share the load in the case of a business interruption at the Brisbane site;

·secondly, future population growth in the region required a local emergency response capability; and

·retaining SEComm maximises the potential for future communications coverage.

“As the second largest QAS Communications Centre in the State, we need to retain the centre’s large capacity for Triple Zero call handling – given continued population growth in the South East Region,” Mr Roberts said.

“This will secure the redundancy capability of QAS Communications and provide certainty into the future, especially if there is a failure at one of the other centres.

“Retention of staff who are trained and experienced in Triple Zero call taking was also seen as an important factor,” he said.

Minister Roberts acknowledged strong representations from local State Member for Southport, Peter Lawlor and the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union to retain the facility on the Gold Coast.

“The move would have impacted on our staff and I am pleased to be able to give them some certainty before the Christmas break.

“The cost of maintaining the Southport QAS Communications facility will be managed within the existing funding allocation,” he said.

The Queensland Emergency Operations Centre is expected to be operational in the 2010-2011 financial year and will incorporate the functions of State Disaster Coordination Centre; State Operations Coordination Centre; and the relocation of the Ambulance and Fire Communications facility based at Spring Hill.

Media Contact – Malcolm Grieve 0427 822 676