Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, has called for uniformity on bushfire apps and information between Victoria and New South Wales.
“What we had over last summer for those living in border communities, was different apps and different symbols being used. The road closure apps are also different between the states, which is very confusing.
“I was also shown multiple examples where the information on the VicRoads app was either wrong or outdated and this was highlighted at the Omeo community meeting I attended.
“What it meant was that some people were looking at four apps to get the fire and road information they needed, and in some cases it was wrong.
“In this day and age it should be uniform and accurate,” he said.
“Another point that has also come out in the Bushfires Royal Commission is different media outlets across the border were giving different descriptions on the same fire, which is not ideal.
“In some border locations, residents cannot access the fire information from broadcasts in their own state as they only pick up the interstate stations and this should be factored into reporting.
“I have written to the respective Ministers to seek a uniform approach to remove the confusion and angst and create a simple app that all can use,” he said.
Caption: Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, pictured using his Vic Emergency app, calling for standardised, consistent emergency information and advice to be developed between all state-based notification apps.
