The Allan Labor Government must act urgently to reduce bushfire risk ahead of a potentially disastrous fire season, The Nationals’ Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad said today.
Ms Broad told Parliament that Victoria was under-prepared for the coming fire season, with excessive forest fuel loads, ageing fire tankers and the unpopular emergency services tax all playing a part.
“The Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission recommended the annual fuel reduction of at least five per cent of public forest area. Yet the government’s current reduction program achieves an average of only 1.5 per cent per year,” Ms Broad said.
“I have spoken with people who work in forest fire management, and they are very concerned by the fuel loads and the lack of track maintenance in our forests, which will inhibit emergency vehicles should the need for them arise.
“That fuel load just does not make any sense. This government has been closing down firewood collection areas and yet there is so much in our forests. If that was managed better, it would certainly reduce some of the risk.”
Ms Broad said there were also major concerns over firefighting vehicles, including the 290 G-Wagons and 59 Unimogs, that were taken offline due to chassis and subframe faults.
“While some are now back in operation, the question is how did we get to that point?”
Ms Broad said many CFA brigades were struggling with ageing tankers.
“The CFA maintains close to 2000 tankers, and many of them are well past their use-by date. We have crews out there with trucks that are over 35 years old.”
Ms Broad said the Allan Labor Government’s emergency services tax had also caused distress, with a recent petition signed by more than 43,000 people raising concerns about the tax.
“The Allan Labor Government are postponing the tax because they are nervous about the state election next year. We have made it clear that if elected, a Liberal Nationals Government will scrap this tax.
“Our emergency services volunteers do not ask for much, but they do deserve honesty, clarity and respect for the service that they provide our community.”
Ms Broad urged people to visit the CFA website for information on how to plan and prepare for bushfire. https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare
Media Contact: Linda Barrow 0484 303 764 linda.barrow@parliament.vic.gov.au
