25 Facts About Phil Koperberg

In 1994 Phil Koperberg was the overall emergency controller, as firefighters battled to control over 800 New South Wales fires covering in excess of 800,000 hectares.

In September 1997, Phil Koperberg was appointed the RFS Commissioner when the Service was formed under the Rural Fires Act.

The NSW Director of Public Prosecutions declined to press charges and Phil Koperberg was reinstated to the Ministry.

Phil Koperberg resigned from the Ministry on 22 February 2008.

Phil Koperberg fought his first bushfire as a teenager on the South Coast in 1959.

Phil Koperberg joined the North Springwood Bush Fire Brigade as a volunteer in 1967, working his way up to become captain of that brigade in 1969 and fire control officer for the Blue Mountains Fire Control Officer between 1970 and 1982.

Phil Koperberg held positions as the inaugural chair of the Fire Control Officer's Association, chairman of the Bush Fire Council of New South Wales and executive officer of the then Bush Fires Branch of the Office of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services.

In 1985 Phil Koperberg was appointed Chairman of the Bush Fire Council of New South Wales and Executive Officer of the Bushfires Branch of the Office of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services.

On 1 September 1997, following the proclamation of the Rural Fires Act 1997, Phil Koperberg was appointed to the position of Commissioner of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.

Phil Koperberg continues to chair the Rural Fire Service Advisory Council, the Bush Fire Co-ordinating Committee and the State Rescue Board.

Phil Koperberg is a member and director of the Australasian Fire Authorities Council and a member of the Institute of Emergency Services.

Phil Koperberg was Commissioner during the following major environmental events, most of which involved his professional skills:.

Phil Koperberg was listed as a defendant in the Canberra bushfires legal proceedings in which the appellant claimed that he called the NSW Rural Fire Service Fire Control Centre 24 times over ten days, but was ignored.

In hearings before the ACT Supreme Court, Phil Koperberg admitted that at a meeting held in Queanbeyan he had understated the threat of the bushfires to Canberra's western suburbs.

On 2 November 2006 Phil Koperberg announced his intention to seek Labor Party preselection for the state seat of Blue Mountains in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly at the 2007 state election after Attorney-General and Environment Minister Bob Debus announced he would not recontest his safe Labor seat.

Almost immediately, it was revealed that Phil Koperberg had been issued with an Apprehended Violence Order in 1987 after a domestic violence incident involving his wife of the time, Katherine Specking.

Mr Phil 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.

On 12 January 2007, Phil Koperberg stood down from his role as RFS Commissioner in order to begin his campaign for political office.

Phil Koperberg had in fact earlier suggested Gibson was behind the domestic violence allegations, accusing him of running a smear campaign "bordering on evil".

Phil Koperberg maintains he openly declared the allegations during the pre-selection process.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that there was speculation Specking and Coad were not prepared to make statements to the police, making it likely Phil Koperberg would be cleared.

Phil Koperberg resigned from the New South Wales Ministry on 22 February 2008, citing ill health.

Phil Koperberg remained on the backbench as member for the Blue Mountains.

On 8 October 2010, Phil Koperberg announced that he will not seek Labor Party endorsement or re-election at the 2011 state election citing "bruising factional fighting" and internal party politics.

Phil Koperberg has received the Pingat Ketua Pengarah Bomba from the Malaysian Fire Service.