Strathbogie CFA volunteer David Hamilton says local brigades remain frustrated by a lack of resources almost 10 months after the January bushfires, welcoming Coalition plans announced on Monday 2 November to establish a volunteer ombudsman and a ministerial consultative committee alongside a major investment in CFA equipment. Mr Hamilton joined Liberal leader Jess Wilson, Nationals leader Danny O'Brien, and Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland at the Longwood CFA station for the announcement of a $200 million Coalition package aimed at rebuilding Victoria's ageing CFA fleet and improving support for emergency services volunteers. Under the proposal, a Coalition government would deliver 335 new CFA trucks over five years, upgrade or rebuild 17 CFA stations, establish an Emergency Services Ombudsman, and create a ministerial consultative committee giving volunteers direct input into decisions affecting the CFA. Speaking during a rain-soaked media conference at the brigade shed, Mr Hamilton said the January bushfires exposed serious shortcomings in equipment and support available to volunteers. "This is where I really get emotional because you're expected to put family on a fire truck and in front of flames," he said. "We're annoyed. We're p*ssed. "We're not a priority." Mr Hamilton said many brigades were still operating ageing tankers lacking modern safety features. "They don't even have rollover protection," he said. "They've got people out in the back of the cab who have to get to the fire in 30-something-degree days out in the open. "You still have volunteers willing to jump out on the back of a fire truck and put it out for their community." Mr O'Brien said the Coalition's policy aimed not only to modernise the fleet but also to rebuild volunteer numbers and improve communication between volunteers and government. "We're very excited to announce our CFA policy today, which is 335 new trucks to be delivered over the next five years," he said. "That's a down payment, with a target of getting up to about 100 trucks a year." Mr O'Brien said the Coalition would also fund 17 new, upgraded, or rebuilt stations and seek to recruit 10,000 additional CFA volunteers over the next decade. "We need to get our volunteer numbers back up again," he said. "By investing in trucks, by investing in stations, and by giving CFA volunteers the respect that they haven't had for the last 12 years, we think we can attract more people." Opposition leader Jess Wilson said the package recognised the vital role played by CFA volunteers, particularly in districts such as Longwood and Ruffy that continue to recover from last summer's devastating fires. "These people who go out and risk their lives, these people who make sure that they are there when their communities need it most, that is who we need to back in this state," Ms Wilson said. "We need the equipment and the resources to make sure that the CFA can do their job, that they are supported and they are safe in doing their job." Longwood CFA recently received funding approval for a new tanker, with Mr O'Brien indicating a Coalition government would seek to accelerate the flow of replacement appliances through the CFA system. Asked by this masthead whether Longwood's replacement truck would remain a priority under a Coalition government, Mr O'Brien replied: "Absolutely." "Whatever's being proposed at the moment, and I should add that our commitment is on top of whatever the government has announced over the last couple of years. "That's how we will be topping up what's being done to make sure that we're actually getting more trucks into the system. "We know that right throughout the state there are brigades with 35 and 40-year-old trucks and we need to be replacing those as quickly as possible." The proposed ministerial consultative committee would provide volunteers with direct access to the responsible minister to discuss training, recruitment, retention, and investment priorities. A new Emergency Services Ombudsman would also be established to investigate complaints and disputes involving CFA and SES volunteers. Mr O'Brien said volunteer organisations had sought such a role for some time. "It will give them a voice and a pathway to resolve those issues," he said. The Nationals leader also used the announcement to renew criticism of the state government's Emergency Services Volunteers Fund (ESVF). "The emergency services tax is a Labor device to fund their budget black hole, not to support our emergency services," he said. The Coalition has pledged to abolish the levy and return to the previous Fire Services Property Levy model. Mr O'Brien said decisions about where new trucks would be allocated would continue to be guided by the CFA's existing needs-based rollout process. "We'll work with the CFA and the local brigades to make sure that we're delivering where it's needed," he said. "Our CFA volunteers put their blood, sweat and tears into this and we need to work with them to make sure we're supporting them to keep supporting our communities." Coalition pressed on budget savings Funding for the emergency services package was quickly queried on Monday, with the Coalition asked how it would fund its election commitments while also promising to repair the state's finances. Reporters repeatedly challenged Opposition Leader Jess Wilson on whether the publicly announced savings measures were sufficient to support spending commitments and return Victoria's budget to surplus. Ms Wilson defended the Liberal-National position, saying over $24 billion in savings had already been identified and further detail would be released before 28 November. "We'll have more to say before the election," she said. "We are the only team with a credible and costed plan to repair the budget." When pressed several times on whether additional savings, including possible reductions in public spending, were part of that plan, Ms Wilson repeatedly said the Coalition would have more to say during the campaign. "We've announced a 10-year economic plan for Victoria," she said. "Our costings will be released in full at the usual time."
