The Annual Report sets out the results the New Zealand Fire Service Commission (Commission) has achieved against its annual plan (Statement of Intent). The annual report describes some of the key events that have occurred during each year, sets out the key results and the financial performance of the Commission against its intended performance.

The Commission's annual report is formally tabled in Parliament each year and is analysed by select committees to judge whether the Commission has delivered value to New Zealand communities.

Featured below is the table of contents and a short overview from the report. If you would like to read the report click on the download pdf link in the blue box to your right.

Table of Contents

Transmittal Letter from the Chairperson 2
Commission Overview 4
Chief Executive Overview 8
Statement of Responsibility 15
Audit Report.16
Statement of Service Performance 18
Statement of Accounting Policies 56
Statement Specifying Financial Performance 59
Statement of Financial Performance 61
Statement of Movements in Equity 61
Statement of Financial Position 62
Statement of Cashflows 63
Statement of Commitments 64
Statement of Contingent Liabilities 64
Notes to the Financial Statements 65

Hon Rick Barker
Minister of Internal Affairs
Parliament Buildings
WELLINGTON

Dear Minister

In accordance with the Public Finance Act, I present.the annual report of the New Zealand Fire Service Commission for the year ended 30 June 2005.

Fire Outcomes

The Commission annually reviews its statement of strategic priorities to provide the New Zealand Fire Service with clear guidance in its annual business planning process. The Commission’s top priority is improved community fire outcomes through fire prevention, fire safety and better response.

This priority asserts that the primary responsibility of fire services is to reduce the incidence of fire and its consequences for communities. A key outcome indicator monitored in this area is residential fire fatalities. I am pleased to report that residential fire fatalities fell to just 19 in 2005. This represents an incident rate of 0.47 fatalities per 100,000 population and puts New Zealand in the best two or three countries internationally.

Some natural variability is to be expected when comparing fire statistics over time so it is important to consider the longer-term trend rather than the short-term variations. In this respect the 10-year comparative table below demonstrates that the Commission continues to make substantial progress across a broad range of fire outcome measures.

New Fire Legislation

In December 2004 the Minister of Internal Affairs published a discussion document entitled “New Fire Legislation: The functions and structure of New Zealand’s fire and rescue services”. The paper set out a number of proposals to unify New Zealand’s fire risk management framework and invited interested parties to make submissions on the proposals. The Commission forwarded a comprehensive submission in response to the invitation. I am advised that analysis of the submissions received is complete and that a decision is awaited to take the process to the next stage. The Commission looks forward to this initiative being progressed at the earliest opportunity.

The Holidays Act

On 22 August 2005 the Employment Court determined that the long-standing “days in lieu” provisions of the Firefighters Collective Employment Agreement do not meet the requirements of the Holidays Act 2003. The effect of the decision is that the Commission is required to provide every firefighter who works on a statutory holiday with an additional day’s leave on a day the firefighter would otherwise be rostered to work. We have assessed the cost of giving effect to this decision as $4.5 million per annum. In accordance with relevant accounting standards we have had to recognise in this year’s accounts the estimated cost ($5.953 million) of discharging the accumulated days in lieu obligation since the Act came into effect on 1 April 2004. At the time of writing the Commission is taking advice on appealing the decision of the Employment Court.

Acknowledgements

I extend my thanks to the members of the Commission for their personal support during the year. On behalf of the Commission I again acknowledge the contribution of Mike Hall,Chief Executive, his management team and all staff and volunteers.

Yours sincerely

Dame Margaret Bazley DNZM
Chairperson