The Country Fire Authority must maintain its complete independence, said State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, today.

He was commenting after a decision this week by the Fair Work Commission that the CFA Board, Volunteer Fire Brigades of Victoria and a number of local CFA members believe hands too much control of the organisation to a city-based union.

“When the Labor Minister herself says she has major concerns with the deal and that she supports the CFA, but is overruled by Premier Daniel Andrews, it is a grave concern,” Mr Bull said.

“The CFA Board – and we have one local member here in East Gippsland – is not happy. It feels it has been dictated to rather than listened to.

“I have had a number of long-serving local CFA members, many current brigade captains and ex-captains from right across the electorate, say they fear a mass resignation of members if this proceeds.

“There is an old saying that ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ and to me this reeks of payback from the Premier for those union members who manned polling booths for him in marginal seats at the last election.

“Our CFA volunteers are more than just firefighters – they do so much more in our communities and in many ways are the backbone of some of our towns,” he said.

Among the major concerns of this deal are the: •Backing the UFU bid for paid firefighters not to fight blazes until there are seven professionals on the scene; •Banning paid firefighters from taking orders from volunteers except during major bushfires;  and •Handing the union an ­effective veto power over CFA management decisions — with the creation of a dispute resolution officer.

Mr Bull will present his petition with about 500 signatures to Parliament next week, urging the Premier to keep his hands off the CFA.

Caption: State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, with the petitions he will table in Parliament next week in support of the CFA volunteers.