NSW Emergency Services Minister David Elliott’s holiday amid fires

The Emergency Services Minister is proceeding with a planned holiday less than a week after the PM cut his short.

New South Wales Police Minister David Elliott. Picture: AAP

NSW Emergency Services Minister David Elliott is proceeding with a planned overseas holiday in the middle of the state’s bushfire disaster, less than a week after Prime Minister Scott Morrison cut short his holiday to Hawaii.

Mr Elliott, who is responsible for the NSW Rural Fire Service, issued a statement on Friday saying he had considered cancelling his holiday to the UK and France but, in the end, decided to go ahead with it.

Prison Minister Anthony Roberts will assume responsibility for Mr Elliott’s portfolio while he is away.

“Bushfire-affected communities and firefighters are always at the front of my mind during this difficult time in NSW,” Mr Elliott said.

“I will continue to receive two briefings each day from the RFS Commissioner. If the bushfire situation should demand it, I will return home.”

RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said he did not anticipate Mr Elliott’s holiday would have an impact on operations.

“I’ll be maintaining contact with Minister Elliott while he’s away and I will be maintaining a very close relationship with the acting Minister, Anthony Roberts, and it won’t stop our work here in NSW with the firefighting effort,” Mr Fitzsimmons said.

While cooler weather had eased fire conditions in NSW, the RFS said more than 1000 firefighters remained in the field, fighting more 90 fires continued to rage across the state.

Mr Elliott’s holiday comes days after he rejected calls to compensate volunteer firefighters, stating that: “Anyone who is arguing we have to pay them doesn’t understand the ethos of the volunteer in this country.”