NORTHERN Victorian MP Tania Maxwell has ramped up her community campaign to add female–specific ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers to Victoria's schedule of firefighter presumptive rights.

The Derryn Hinch Justice Party MP said firefighters currently have presumptive rights to medical and financial help if they are diagnosed with any of 12 cancers because of their career or volunteer firefighting work.

"Only two months ago the World Health Organisation cancer agency (IARC) reclassified firefighting as an occupation carcinogenic to humans," Ms Maxwell, a CFA volunteer herself, said.

"So, with more and more women becoming career and volunteer firefighters, it's vital the government adds these three female–specific cancers to Victoria's list.

"The state should have all firefighters' backs when they're protecting our lives, communities, property and environment.

"It's simply a matter of safety and equality."

The inequity could not have been made more stark than at her 'Do Gooder' campaign launch in Wangaratta on Monday where female firefighter with Wangaratta Urban Fire Brigade, Monique Hillenaar, revealed she only learned about the disparity that morning in a page message to attend the media conference.

"It was a bit of a shock," Ms Hillenaar said.

"I fall into the category of not realising (the presumptive rights do not include cancers more commonly found in women).

"I do think it is probably discriminatory."

Ms Hillenaar said if Ms Maxwell's legislation was passed it would encourage her to remain in the job for years to come, but a continued lack of action would have many female firefighters and volunteers question whether they stay involved.

Ms Maxwell first moved to bring on the change when she put an amendment to the Forests Amendment (Forest Firefighters' Presumptive Rights Compensation) Bill 2021 in October last year.

"The government committed then and there to consultation, a review of the latest medical and scientific advice, and involving me in discussions with women firefighters," she said.

"Seven months later – in May, this year – I introduced a private member's bill to legislate the addition of ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers to the presumptive rights schedule, and the government promised a lasting solution 'at the proper time'.

"Then the World Health Organisation's cancer agency (IARC) in July announced its reclassification of firefighting as a cause of cancer.

"With the strong support of Volunteer Fire Brigades of Victoria, members of Fire Services Victoria, Country Fire Authority and the United Firefighters Union, surely 'the proper time' has arrived for the government to act."

Garry Nash, Deputy Group Officer of Wangaratta Group, seemed equally stunned the message about the lack of support for the 12 cancers had not been communicated better to female officers and members.

"We thought the message was being out there and we will do more on that," he said.

Dr Julian Fidge, also a CFA volunteer, said it was irrational for the government to say it did not have the data to extend the presumptive rights for the identified cancers for women.

"Women are people too and could be equally, if not more affected, by these firefighting risks," he said.

Ms Maxwell encouraged firefighters and people in communities across Victoria to log into https://presumptiverights.good.do/womenfirefightersdeservepresumptiverights/ and call on their MPs to back presumptive rights for these female–specific cancers.

We're working on it, says government

Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes said the government takes its responsibility to provide the support volunteer and career firefighters and staff need to do this job seriously and these nation–leading reforms reflect that responsibility.

"We will continue to build and strengthen the protections provided to workers, including through presumptive rights," Ms Symes said.

"This includes work to consider an expansion of the list of cancers under this scheme, including consideration of the three female–based cancers: cervical, uterine and ovarian cancer, and a number of other cancers recently added to similar schemes in North America.

"It's important that we get it right, which is why we're currently in the process of consulting on and developing an informed and clear approach to these issues – as we said we'd do.

"We are working hard to ensure women are encouraged to become firefighters with over $8 million in the 2022–23 budget for female facilities – and the CFA has established a Womens Advisory Committee and providing women's General Firefighter training to support female firefighters."