Phil Koperberg
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Philip Christian Koperberg AO AFSM BEM is the New South Wales Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water, and the former Commissioner of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service in Australia. "An expert in risk and crisis management, Phil Koperberg was the overall emergency controller during the 2001 Christmas/New Year fires, when Australia faced its longest and most intense bush firefighting campaign. In 1994 Phil Koperberg was also the overall emergency controller, as firefighters battled to control over 800 NSW fires covering in excess of 800,000 hectares. In 1999, his expertise was again called upon during the severe hail storms which damaged more than 30,000 properties."[3]
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[edit] Background
Dutch-born Koperberg arrived in Australia in 1953 more or less as a refugee from Indonesia following its independence. Prior to his involvement in emergency management, Phil worked in various fields including the finance industry[4].
Koperberg joined the North Springwood Bush Fire Brigade as a volunteer in 1967, working his way up to become captain of that brigade. Prior to becoming chief of the NSW Rural Fire Service in 1997, he held positions as the inaugural chair of the Fire Control Officer's Association, chairman of the Bush Fire Council of NSW and executive officer of the then Bush Fires Branch of the Office of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services.
[edit] Appointment as Comissioner
In 1985 Koperberg was appointed Chairman of the Bush Fire Council of NSW and Executive Officer of the Bushfires Branch of the Office of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. In 1993 he was appointed to the position of Commissioner of Bush Fire Services. On September 1 1997, following the proclamation of the Rural Fires Act 1997, Phil Koperberg was appointed to the position of the Commissioner of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.
Koperberg was appointed to operationally coordinate the emergency control / initial recovery effort in April 1999, when severe hail storms battered eastern Sydney causing damage to more than 30,000 properties[5].
Koperberg continues to chair the Rural Fire Service Advisory Council, the Bush Fire Co-ordinating Committee and the State Rescue Board. He is a member and director of the Australasian Fire Authorities Council and a member of the Institute of Emergency Services.
[edit] Honours and awards
On 30 December 1978 Koperberg was awarded the British Empire Medal. On 19 November 1990 he was awarded the National Medal which is awarded for diligent long service to the community. On 10 June 1994, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to the community through co-ordinating and controlling the firefighting effort during the New South Wales bushfires of January 1994. On 26 January 1995, he was awarded the AFSM (Australian Fire Service Medal). On 9 June 2003 he was promoted to Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)for outstanding service to the community through the development of an internationally recognised firefighting service, ensuring that training and equipment are of a high standard, and providing informed comment on hazard reduction and educating the community on bushfire safety. Koperberg has also received the Pingat Ketua Pengarah Bomba from the Malaysian Fire Service[6].
[edit] Political Aspirations
On 2 November 2006 Phil Koperberg announced his intention to seek Australian Labor Party preselection for the state seat of Blue Mountains in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly at the 2007 State election[1] after Attorney-General and Environment Minister Bob Debus announced he would not recontest his safe Labor seat at the March 24 state election[7].
"The move comes despite denials as late as this week by Mr Koperberg that he had no plans to seek preselection in the seat which Labor holds by a 14.8 per cent margin. Mr Koperberg's years of high profile work fighting fires would make him a popular choice for the bushland electorate."[8].
On 6 November 2006 controversial Sydney radio personality Alan Jones (who has at times been a harsh critic of Koperberg) made comment on air in response to the revelation that Koperberg had had an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) taken out against him by his former wife.
"Look, can we end all this nonsense about Phil Koperberg. There's talk that there's an AVO taken out against him by his ex-wife and that someone's going to release that and put a dirt file together about Koperberg, et cetera et cetera. Politics has got to get rid of all of this stuff. And Morris Iemma and Peter Debnam have got to move heavily against anyone who tries it. Mr Koperberg's private life is just that, private. Any person who offers themselves to serve in public life deserves the support of the community. Mr Koperberg has done nothing illegal, he's broken no laws, he's confronted no court about anything that's happened in any of his marriages, I believe he's been married a couple of times. Who cares. Morris Iemma, to his credit, has backed Mr Koperberg. Look, no one's had more arguments with Phil Koperberg than I have. But it is absolutely sickening the way in which people's private lives are dragged through the sewers for the sake of some kind of public benefit. Mr Koperberg has ability. The electorate will decide whether it is enough to entitle him to a seat in the State Parliament. All the rest based on jealousy and hearsay ought to be left where it belongs, at the bottom of the garbage can." [9]
On 12 January 2007, Koperberg went on leave in order to begin his campaign for political office.[2] Official notification was sent(via e-mail) to RFS staff the following day announcing that Robin Rodgers had assumed the role of Acting Commissioner as of 14:30 on 13 January 2007.
In the March 24, 2007 NSW state election, he was elected into the seat of Blue Mountains. Almost a week later, March 30, NSW premier Morris Iemma announced Koperberg would be the Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water in the state parliament.
[edit] Quotes
- "There is no episode of this magnitude that you don't learn something from."[10]
- "There weren't frictions, there were tensions and frustrations."[11]
- "I'd rather not go into the realms of what I privately believe"[12]
- “Today firefighters are less reticent to call for help.”[13]
[edit] External links
- Ray Hadley talks to Phil Koperberg about his decision to run for the NSW Labor Party (03/11/06)
- Koperberg defends firefighting strategy
- NSW Fire Chief, Commissioner Phil Koperberg gives his first interview since the January 18th fires."
