STATE Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has made her first visit to the Mitchell Shire since taking the role last month as she, together with Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland, visited Hilldene CFA on Wednesday morning to address concerns from firefighters ahead of not just the Fire Danger Period (FDP), but November’s state election.
Ms Wilson and Ms Cleeland held a forum for CFA volunteers from around the state, packing into the Hilldene CFA offices to discuss concerns about ageing equipment and a lack of female-friendly facilities, among other key issues.
CFA volunteers from various regions brought in trucks which were in excess of 35 years old, with members showing Ms Wilson and Ms Cleeland the equipment and how they used it to navigate dangerous fires.
“We heard from CFA volunteers how utterly under resourced they are. At the same time, the Government is putting a $3 billion emergency services tax on volunteers, on farmers who work every single day to protect their community,” Ms Wilson said.
“The trucks are older than I am. That is the reality of the under resourcing that comes to CFA brigades across the state.
“It is abundantly clear that when the CFA volunteers step onto those trucks to protect their local communities and put their lives at risk, they are not safe.
“What we’ve seen from reports is the fuel around the state, but also on the edges of metropolitan Melbourne, is a real risk this fire season.”
Ms Cleeland said she was listening to firefighter complaints loud and clear.
“We are entering into a high fire danger period, and it was important to listen to the volunteers to understand if they feel prepared to fight fires in Victoria,” she said.
“What is heartbreaking is that the Government has put out an emergency services tax with a target of more than $700 million in its first year, but what we have heard is we are fiercely underresourced, we feel exposed as volunteers, and the Government is forcing them to go into dangerous, unsafe environments as volunteers.
“These are the people willing to protect our communities who actually do not feel protected themselves.”
