The Nationals’ Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, believes real action needs to be taken to support our firefighters in regional Victoria.
The Mildura electorate, spanning over 37,000 km², faces some of the harshest weather conditions in the state. Despite promises, the Allan Labor Government has not delivered the necessary support to FRV and some CFA crews in our regions.
The Minister for Emergency Services, Jaclyn Symes, stated, “At the moment, the FRV fleet availability is over 80%, meeting the given requirements and benchmarks.” However, much of this figure includes unsafe and unreliable trucks that should not be in operation.
Having spoken with representatives from FRV they have described the Ministers recent visit as nothing more than a ‘photo opportunity’ with current issues raised by FRV being ignored or further delayed.
“I find it hard to believe that the minister knows more about fire appliance fleet management than most fire services personnel do.
“The 15-year lifespan is the policy of FRV, and of many fire services in Australia, and across the world, meaning FRV does not have the fleet or equipment they need,” said Ms Benham.
“We aren’t just chasing new flashy trucks or stations. All we are asking is for the equipment and infrastructure to allow firefighters to help our community, and to keep firefighters safe whilst we do it,” said Ms Benham.
It’s clear The Allan Labor Government can’t manage money, can’t manage projects and can’t keep our communities safe.
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