Thursday, 5 October 2023

Country Fire Authority Heyfield brigade

Jeff BOURMAN (Eastern Victoria) (12:33): (296) I promise there is no collusion here, but my question is for the Minister for Emergency Services. Minister, in Heyfield in my electorate local CFA volunteers, many of them timber workers, spent the weekend protecting homes and lives in their neighbouring communities fighting bushfires. Last night and this morning they were out sandbagging against floods. Can the minister advise what support the government is giving to the CFA in Heyfield to continue this critical community service?

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:33): I thank Mr Bourman for his question, and in terms of the general support across the board for CFA brigades, I think I answered that in the previous question. But if I go to your specific example of Heyfield at the moment in relation to the support on the ground, there were 500 CFA volunteers and other firefighters on the ground over the weekend. That extended to 650 on Monday and Tuesday in relation to suppressing those fires and supporting those stations. They move resources from areas of the state that are not under threat to support those workers, because we are very, very conscious of fatigue and the safety of volunteers, to ensure that they have got backup so that they can go home and get sleep et cetera. All of that is operationally managed, and I am very confident that that occurred down there by virtue of knowing that there were 650 available. There are additional resources going into your neck of the woods in relation to CFA brigades in your region. We have a new station at Yarram, and we are also about to open a new station in Moe. We know that the interoperability and cooperation between local brigades always goes to supporting those that are right in the middle of a threat at any particular time.