Fire Rescue Victoria has historically stationed three fire trucks at the Australian Grand Prix due to the increased fire risk and the difficulty of getting trucks into the circuit if an incident occurs.
Last year, FRV had to pull trucks from local fire stations just to cover the event because there were no spare appliances available.
This year it’s even worse, with trucks already missing from stations across Victoria due to ongoing mechanical failures and an ageing fleet.
This is the result of years of underinvestment by the Allan Government.
Premier Jacinta Allan continues to ignore serious warnings about public safety, while Treasurer Jaclyn Symes has committed an extra $115 million to rebuild parts of the Grand Prix site after asbestos was discovered, saying the government had to “ensure a safe workplace”.
Apparently that concern doesn’t extend to firefighter safety or community protection.
Victorians are now paying double the Emergency Services Tax, yet receiving less fire service every year.
