The CFA annual report has finally been tabled, confirming an ongoing funding crisis.
The Nationals’ Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad said angry CFA volunteers had called for an inquiry following the belated release of the report and the disastrous fires this month.
“Volunteers have reported that the water stopped working while they were on trucks. They are battling an aged fleet and firefighters’ lives are being put at risk.”
Meanwhile, analysis of the CFA’s annual report shows that grant funding to the CFA is $55 million less in real terms than in 2020, after taking four years of inflation into account.
The annual report confirmed funding cuts in the 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 financial years.
“The Government is claiming a $22 million increase in the 2024-25 budget, but this is just $10 million more than the CFA received in 2020-21. This is not even keeping pace with inflation,” Ms Broad said.
The CFA is now running a $50 million deficit, while funding for PPE and equipment fell $8.3 million.
Ms Broad said the Premier’s claims that CFA funding had been increased were exposed as untrue by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office, and this was now confirmed by the annual report.
“While Labor talks up its commitment to emergency services, the numbers clearly show CFA funding has gone backwards. We need transparency and we need to know where the money has gone.
“There are CFA stations with porta-loos out the back, while millions were spent on an FRV building in East Bendigo which has sat empty for years.
“CFA volunteers are putting their lives on the line. They are washing their own uniforms. They are driving their own cars to fire grounds because there is no room for them on the fire truck.
“It is unacceptable that, as this government wastes billions on failed projects and budget blowouts, CFA brigades are left with fewer resources, fewer volunteers and growing pressure on the ground.
“The loss of almost 10,000 operational CFA volunteers is not a coincidence, it’s the consequence of years of neglect, broken promises and a lack of respect.
“Labor can’t manage money, and our hard-working CFA volunteers are paying the price.”
Nearly 10,000 people have already signed a petition calling for a parliamentary committee inquiry into fire services funding and resources. The petition is available at:
Select Committee on fire services funding and resources – Petitions – Parliament of Victoria
Media Contact: Linda Barrow 0484 303 764
