“The State of the Emergency Services Sector in Australia (Part 3)” - Influence Me Podcast - Season 3 - Episode 5

In this final Part 3 of 'The State of the Emergency Services Sector in Australia' the  conversation turns to the future.

In Part 3, my guest (for all three parts) Bruce Byatt AFSM and I take a hard look at what really determines success across emergency services — and where things still quietly unravel.

We explore interagency cohesiveness: where collaboration works, where old wounds linger, and why genuine respect is built through relationships, shared experience, and two-way learning — not organisational charts or slick ministerial releases.

We unpack the consequences of poorly considered structural redesign and the unintended barriers created by inward-focused agency models. Reform matters — but so does giving reformed agencies the time and space to mature, rather than tipping them on their heads again too soon.

Culture takes centre stage. Get it right and capability follows. Get it wrong and no amount of funding will fix it. Through it all, the impact on community safety effectiveness must remain central to ongoing cultural reform efforts.

We also tackle some uncomfortable truths:
🚨Spending scarce dollars on capability that may never be used, while critical areas remain under-resourced or entirely non-resourced.
🚨The fragile reality of long-term funding — and why capability, not industrial or stakeholder power, must drive investment decisions
🚨What leaders need to be acutely aware of as they step into senior and executive roles — including the support available, and the fierce resistance they may face

The bottom line?
✓ The sector will continue to be confronted by unexpected challenges, amid ongoing fiscal restraints.
✓ The question is whether we’re building the leadership, culture, and capability now to meet them when they arrive.