Tuesday, 10 September 2024

Adjournment

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (17:57): I move:

That the house do now adjourn.

Fire Rescue Victoria

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (17:57): (1114) My adjournment is for the Minister for Emergency Services, and the action that I seek is that the minister ensure Fire Rescue Victoria do not make an alteration to the allocation of the pumper platform fire truck that was to be delivered to fire station 75 in Shepparton, where all firefighters have been trained to operate it. Shepparton firefighters have been eagerly expecting a new pumper platform for several years, but a recent decision to divert it to Sunshine means Shepparton will lose out on receiving the new fire truck, which will be sent to Sunshine in metropolitan Melbourne. In 2019, prior to the creation of Fire Rescue Victoria, the CFA ordered new firefighting vehicles, including a multimillion-dollar pumper platform appliance that was destined for Shepparton. Three pumper platform trucks were ordered, with Shepparton given the highest priority to be the first to receive their new pumper platform appliance, and Warrnambool and Mildura to receive the other two.

Significant negotiations took place at the time of the transfer of CFA assets to FRV to ensure the new appliances ordered by the CFA would be delivered to the stations they were ordered for. Risk assessments conducted during the planning phase for new pumpers identified Shepparton as having the highest risk profile and therefore the greatest need for a new pumper of this kind. Pumper platform appliances perform general firefighting duties and also have a long extendable arm with a platform that can be raised to enable firefighting from a height and also rescues at height.

When fire services reform was proposed, concerns were raised that this would lead to resources going to Melbourne at the expense of regional cities, and those concerns appear to have come to fruition, as under this state Labor government rural and regional communities in Victoria are once again being overlooked in favour of metropolitan Melbourne. Diverting this crucially important appliance is short-sighted and dangerous and is ignoring the risk analysis that was originally done when the pumper platform trucks were planned and ordered. Shepparton has numerous facilities that require the use of fire trucks with an aerial platform, including many of our large food manufacturing facilities, cool stores and greenhouses. Furthermore, the growing number of tall buildings around Shepparton means the city desperately needs to have a pumper with a high aerial platform to fight fires and perform rescues at height. There are now nine buildings in the city over 25 metres in height, and some much taller, including Goulburn Valley Health, the Shepparton Law Courts and the Shepparton museum.

This new pumper platform is vitally important for future fire safety and rescue in Shepparton and throughout the north-east, but the last-minute decision has left Shepparton in the lurch, and the government will send this pumper platform to Sunshine. The closest aerial platform is at the Bendigo station, an hour and a half away from Shepparton, and there is now genuine concern of the risk to Shepparton and surrounds. (Time expired)