Thursday, 3 August 2023

Volunteer consultative forum

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (17:22): (363) My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for Emergency Services, and it concerns her decision to disband the volunteer consultative forum (VCF). The action I seek is for the minister to reverse the decision to scrap the volunteer consultative forum to ensure that volunteers of Victoria’s emergency services organisations can provide expert advice to government and organisational management on issues that affect our valuable emergency services volunteers.

The volunteer consultative forum was a body made up of volunteers from 11 Victorian emergency services organisations, such as the CFA, SES and Red Cross. The forum was created as a vehicle for volunteers to engage and consult with the Andrews Labor government on matters that impact their role as emergency services volunteers. The creation of the forum was a key component of the Emergency Management Volunteer Statement signed by the Premier on 4 May 2016. The forum has not only served as a vehicle to consult with government, but it has also achieved the intentions of the volunteer statement of supporting and promoting the value of emergency services volunteers.

The decision to abolish the VCF was announced by the former emergency management commissioner at a meeting of the forum in April and came as a surprise to the volunteer members present. The decision has caused great disappointment within the volunteer ranks, and several have contacted me to convey their displeasure with the move. Volunteers have expressed to me that the decision to scrap the VCF has left many of them feeling devalued and disrespected for the essential work that they do in protecting their communities. There are also concerns within volunteer ranks that the move will send a message to potential new recruits that their opinions and views are not important, essentially impacting on the recruitment of new volunteers to agencies. It has been reported that the Andrews government want to create a more inclusive way for volunteers to provide feedback, but no details have been released on what the new model might look like.

The volunteer consultative forum is a proven vehicle that allows volunteers to have input to government on issues that directly affect their role in protecting and helping Victorians, and I urge Minister Symes to reconsider and reverse her decision to disband the forum. Therefore the action that I seek is for the minister to reverse her decision to scrap the volunteer consultative forum to ensure the volunteers of Victoria’s emergency services organisations can provide expert advice to government and organisational management on issues that affect our valuable emergency services volunteers.