Gippsland East Nationals’ MP, Tim Bull, has slammed the Labor State Government for leaving East Gippslanders and country Victorians more vulnerable with a fire season around the corner.
“They have let us down on three fronts (1) reducing the CFA Budget by $4 million, (2) cutting Forest Fire Management (DEECA) jobs in Swifts Creek and Orbost and (3) a complete lack of any reasonable level of fuel reduction burning,” he said.
“The State Budget earlier this year showed the government increased the Fire Services Levy (FSL) by $186 million, from $847 million to $1.033 billion – but then cut the CFA Budget by $4 million.
“On average, this increased the FSL for farmers from $450 to $600, for businesses $665 to $738 and households from $156 to $191 – a massive 23 per cent increase overall, but some individual increases were much more.
“From this hit to our hip pocket, you might think the CFA would be a significant beneficiary as it is for fire services, but no, the CFA suffers a $4 million reduction as this government tries to pay off its massive debt on metropolitan cost overruns,” said Mr Bull.
“Then we have news that there are Forest Fire Management (FFM) jobs being cut across the region.
“These are towns that have been hit hard by the timber industry closure and are communities the government has said it will support, but staff have been told by management of the job reductions.
“Of additional concern is that some of the remaining positions will be made ‘regional’ so that will likely take other workers out of their home towns and others will be left to apply for lower paying jobs.”
Mr Bull said if cutting the CFA Budget and getting rid of departmental fire program workers wasn’t enough, the government has left us very vulnerable again by the woefully small amount of fuel reduction burning it has completed.
“The Bushfires Royal Commission recommended around 5 per cent or around 385,000ha per annum be burned in Victoria to keep the community safe, but have done less than 100,000ha over recent years.
“We have many local examples of the benefits of fuel reduction burns, supported by the findings of the Royal Commission, and it’s very simple, when you don’t control the fuel loads it can only ever end one way, there is no other outcome.
“And this is a government that at every opportunity tells us climate change is making things more dangerous, yet their response is less protection for us. They will have to take a lot of responsibility when it happens.”
Monday, 30 September 2024
