Premier Jacinta Allan has continued to insist fire service funding has not been cut, despite refusing to release the CFA’s 2024-25 annual report, which was due to be tabled in parliament last October.
The parliamentary website shows the government has tabled all 330 of its departmental and agencies 2024-25 annual reports, except for those of the CFA and FRV.
Ms Allan has been repeatedly asked at fire briefings in the past week about CFA funding cuts and why volunteers are battling Victoria’s catastrophic bushfires using the oldest tanker fleet in Australia.
In response to questions on the ageing fleet at this week’s Natimuk media briefing, Ms Allan said “every tanker that goes out for operational duty, is out there because it’s been assessed”, as “safe”.
But Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria chief executive Adam Barnett demanded to know how Premier Allan could argue firefighting crews were safe on the back of the CFA’s 700 ageing single-cab trucks, which left them exposed to 40-degree heat, smoke and fumes.
The government’s own figures show at least 474 of the CFA’s tankers, pumpers and specialist vehicles have been on the road for more than 25 years, according to the government’s own figures.
Premier Allan also told the media any claims that CFA funding had been cut were incorrect. “I’ve seen these claims and they’re just wrong.”
But Mr Barnett said “volunteers were not buying it” and questioned why the government had failed to release the 2024-25 CFA and Fire Rescue Victoria reports.
“Why would volunteers trust the government, when it won’t even release last year’s annual report.”
It is just silly behavior that Premier Jacinta Allan, Treasurer Jaclyn Symes and Minister Vicki Ward hide and only come out to stage managed appearances. Carefully arranged photo shoots away from the truth is a long held staple of the Victorian Alp and its government ministers since they came to office.
Where is the transparency and accountability?
