The Andrews Labor Government has continued to wage its war on volunteer firefighters by cutting funding for Firewise, an important country brigade communication tool.
Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, said this was a publication used by Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria, the CFA Chief, Emergency Management Victoria Commissioner Craig Lapsley and local volunteers to communicate messages on issues that affect volunteers.
“Firewise includes information on service delivery, volunteer awards and coming fire services events and I fear that if the publication is reduced to an online presence, it will miss hundreds of volunteers across our region who rely on the hard copy,” Mr Bull said.
“It’s not just the Opposition saying this, I’ve heard directly from CFA volunteers, while the VFBV has also expressed its disappointment.
“Its chief executive officer, Andrew Ford, said in the latest edition that funding was cut ‘with no explanation of the logic, no consultation with volunteers and no regard for what it means for volunteers’.”
Mr Bull said that if elected, the Liberal-Nationals would ensure funding is reinstated to ensure all firefighters, including volunteers, continue to have a voice on their fire services.
“The cut comes only a short time after the announcement of the Liberal-Nationals’ plan for a Royal Commission into Victoria’s fire services and only days after Firewise reported on the need for this to occur,” he said.
“We have committed to restoring confidence of communities and volunteers in the CFA, however unfortunately all this government wants to do is silence them.”
“Firewise includes information on service delivery, volunteer awards and coming fire services events and I fear that if the publication is reduced to an online presence, it will miss hundreds of volunteers across our region who rely on the hard copy,” Mr Bull said.
“It’s not just the Opposition saying this, I’ve heard directly from CFA volunteers, while the VFBV has also expressed its disappointment.
“Its chief executive officer, Andrew Ford, said in the latest edition that funding was cut ‘with no explanation of the logic, no consultation with volunteers and no regard for what it means for volunteers’.”
Mr Bull said that if elected, the Liberal-Nationals would ensure funding is reinstated to ensure all firefighters, including volunteers, continue to have a voice on their fire services.
“The cut comes only a short time after the announcement of the Liberal-Nationals’ plan for a Royal Commission into Victoria’s fire services and only days after Firewise reported on the need for this to occur,” he said.
“We have committed to restoring confidence of communities and volunteers in the CFA, however unfortunately all this government wants to do is silence them.”
Friday, December 8, 2017
