Squawk wrote:cripple wrote:If it is really such a big issue, most commercial buses are licenced to carry 50+ passengers. I am sure the appropriate authorities could rustle up the 8 buses needed to evacuate the centre and drive the 30 mins out of harms way.
Cripple - no personal offence is intended here but that is the wrong attitude.
No one should expect that in an emergency such as a bushfire, help will be there when you call. Everyone has a responsibility to be prepared for any emergency - as best they can. The threat of bushfire is forseeable, as are many other threats. If you think it's as simple as "the authorities can just rustle up 8 buses", not only are you adopting a simplistic approach but the reality is, to do this requires resources being directed away from other priorities.
To see more about what I mean, check out this Kiwi campaign - it says it all.
http://www.getthru.govt.nz/web/GetThru.nsf/web/BOWN-7HG6JA?OpenDocument
I agree with what you are saying, especially in regards to people being prepared for an emergency in the best way they can be. Obviously for someone in a detention centre, the best way they can be prepared is limited by the circumstances they find themselves in and as as a result they probably should be handled in the same way as schools and hospitals are in such a situation. Who knows some bright spark at the CFS might look at this as an opportunity and train up some of these asylum seekers to be ready to help out in a fire and everyone wins.
Wherever you put these centres, there are going to be these issues and IMO they dont really give a valid reason not to locate the centre in that location.