Fire Rescue Victoria
Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (14:08): (408) My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. The total cost of operating Victoria’s fire services is the most expensive in Australia at $2.2 billion – about a third greater than New South Wales and double that of Queensland. At the same time your government has cut the volunteer funding base by another $3 million this financial year, reducing the total funding to an insufficient $310 million for the over 1200 volunteer brigades that serve Victorian rural communities. Is the huge increase in expenditure to the FRV for paid firefighters because of the loss of CFA volunteers, the cuts to the budget and the fact that you have disrespected Victorian volunteers?
Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (14:09): Absolutely not.
Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (14:09): Minister, over the past 10 years the government has increased expenditure on fire services by nearly 47 per cent, yet Fire Rescue Victoria has recorded a $170.3 million loss in the 2022–23 year, worsened by the ballooning expenses on employees, now costing more than $887 million. If the government cannot manage money, it cannot manage the FRV budgets, it cannot resource the Victorian CFA volunteers properly, how can Victorians have an expectation or the confidence that this government will keep them safe during bushfire and fire events?
Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (14:10): Ms Bath, with a minute it is going to be hard to get through a comprehensive response to that.
Melina Bath interjected.
Jaclyn SYMES: Well, you should have asked that question first. Victoria is known around the world as one of the most fire-prone areas, and that is why we have an amazing turnout of community volunteers, because they know that they need to help protect their communities, and they do a fantastic job. I love meeting with brigades; they are passionate community-involved people.
The fire services agencies have continued to perform strongly, and we do not make any apologies for providing appropriate funding to ensure Victorians are safe. We have the best turnout rates in the country, and so your assertion –
Members interjecting.
The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister’s time has expired. She did not get to finish her answer because of the interjections.