Fire services
Ms LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (11:44): My question is for the Minister for Emergency Services. The department’s fire services reform team was supposed to have visited each of the 34 former integrated fire stations to divide the assets between the CFA and FRV brigades. Citing COVID-19, these visits were cancelled, and instead the FRV senior station officer and a representative of the United Firefighters Union conducted the inspections and allocations. The CFA brigade captain in each instance was not allowed to be part of the process. Minister, if COVID-19 was serious enough to prevent department officials and the CFA captain from participating in each inspection, what was the health advice that showed it was perfectly fine for union representatives to be part of the process?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (11:45): I thank Ms Lovell for her question and indeed acknowledge that there is a lot of work still to ensure that fire services reform is rolled out across the state and in supporting our hardworking FRV and CFA personnel. In relation to the 34 integrated brigades, Mrs McArthur has asked me about these questions before. This is an ongoing task. I am expecting advice on tenancy agreements hopefully very soon—the coming days, coming weeks—which will bring to my attention any of the ones that are outstanding.
I would like to thank our implementation monitor, Niall Blair, who, like everyone, has had restrictions in relation to being able to get out and about as much as possible. He had a fantastic opportunity to speak to many volunteers at the CFA-VFBV emergency games up in Mooroopna last weekend and was able to speak face to face to a lot of volunteers. Indeed some of those brigades would have crossed over in relation to the integrated brigades.
Ms Lovell, this is reform that will be ongoing. In relation to consultation, my information is that Mr Blair has made himself very available to receive feedback to ensure that those conversations can continue. There is certainly no intention to cut out anyone from any of these discussions, and if you have got specific concerns about people that would like to have their voices heard that feel as though they have not had the opportunity, I am more than happy to facilitate that.
Ms LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (11:47): Obviously there was no health advice; it was just the UFU deciding. The Shadow Minister for Emergency Services in the other place has spoken to many of the co-located CFA brigades, who have all raised concerns not only that they were not allowed to be part of the process to decide what assets were allocated to them but that the United Firefighters Union was allowed. Minister, what business did the UFU have in deciding what equipment should be allocated to CFA volunteer brigades?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (11:47): Ms Lovell, as I said, I think I just explained in the answer to your previous question that I would encourage people with views on these issues to come forward with those views. The process of dealing with how the integrated brigades will continue into the future is an ongoing process. We are having conversations—not me personally; these are operational matters for the CFA, FRV and indeed Mr Blair.
Ms Lovell interjected.
Ms SYMES: As I said to you, if you have got a specific issue at a specific branch that you would like to bring to my attention, then I am more than happy to receive that.
Ms LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (11:48): I move:
That the minister’s answer be taken into consideration on the next day of meeting.
Motion agreed to.