Tuesday, 4 February 2025

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (14:01): (1317) My question is for the Minister for Emergency Services: will the minister ensure that Shepparton Search and Rescue Squad and the Echuca and Moama Search and Rescue Squad receive funding from the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund? The government has announced that later this year it will establish an Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund to support a wide range of Victorian emergency services, including VICSES. But the published list of beneficiary organisations overlooks the Shepparton and Echuca and Moama search and rescue squads, which are independent units and not part of VICSES. The final report of the 2022 flood inquiry recognised that Shepparton Search and Rescue Squad had the most call-outs, fielding 980 requests for assistance during the floods. Accordingly, recommendations 57 and 49 of the report specifically state that the Shepparton and Echuca and Moama search and rescue squads should receive increased government funding for operations and training. The Minister for Emergency Services must commit funding to Victoria’s two independent units.