Thursday, 5 October 2023

Country Fire Authority

Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:28): (295) My question is for the Minister for Emergency Services. In answer to a question on notice from the member for Gippsland East earlier this year the government conceded that the CFA is down 6500 operational volunteers since it came to government. The CFA is full of local champions who do their best, but they require help when necessary. Many have stated that they left due to the restructuring of the CFA and the sacking of the board. Minister, what will you do to restore morale and allow our CFA volunteer ranks to continue to rebuild?

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:29): I thank Dr Heath for her question and her support of our fantastic CFA volunteers, which is evident in her question. In terms of some of the figures – and I have taken the chamber through them before, but just to repeat – in the last 12 months CFA received almost 6000 applications for new memberships, and I know that they constantly maintain a dedicated pool of over 50,000 committed volunteers. It is a fantastic organisation to be part of.

I have got to say as not only the minister but a member who represents half of the state nearly – don’t we, my Northern Victoria colleagues? – morale is pretty good. When I go and visit stations they are up and about. They are excited to be part of an organisation that is committed and passionate and motivated by community safety and looking after the people that live in their communities. The really hardworking team at CFA is led by Jason Heffernan. He is constantly out and about talking to volunteers. He gets around the state every week, and he is making sure that he is listening and responding to any concerns that CFA members have. I just want to put on record my admiration and thanks for the efforts of volunteers, and I think everyone in this chamber shares that. The communities really value these volunteers, and morale is good from what I see in and around them.

We will always continue to have programs and conversations about encouraging people to join the CFA or indeed, in my remit, the SES, which is also a great organisation to consider volunteering in. It is so rewarding, volunteer work in the emergency services space. The best thing about this job is meeting people in this space, because they are fantastic people. I know that a lot of you get around and visit your CFA stations and talk to people regularly as well. More and more of them would be welcome.

Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:31): I thank the minister for her response. Surge capacity of the CFA has always been its great strength, having the ability to muster strike teams from different regions to support those areas under bushfire attack. Minister, have you been briefed on what effect the massive reduction in membership will have on the state’s capacity to produce surge resources during major fire incidents?

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:32): I thank Dr Heath for her question. In relation to the available volunteers across the board and in relation to surge capacity from our other agencies, we have never had to call on the full contingent, ever, which means that there is a surplus in relation to that. Again, you would always want to encourage more and more people to be involved in this organisation. There will also be briefings for government and non-government members in the coming months ahead of the high-risk fire season. The fire season has started, but I think in a couple of weeks it will come to me and then everybody gets briefed. It is called an attestation briefing, which will give everybody an update on where every agency is up to, which gives you a good opportunity to question the leaders in relation to that surge and how it all works. Every department of government and every emergency services agency feed in all of their preparedness information – how many people they have got and where they can move resources – so that we are prepared to respond to what we need to this coming fire season. I will be sure to make sure that you are aware of that invite when it is available.