ScoMo offers volunteer fireys tax-free compo of up to $6000 each
Volunteer firefighters battling NSW’s unprecedented bushfires will be offered up to $6000 each in compensation, with the Prime Minister saying the current ‘prolonged’ season was unusually demanding and he did not want fireys to struggle financially.
NSW
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Volunteer fireys will receive up to $6000 each from the federal government, with the tax-free handout going to those who have lost income while fighting bushfires across the state.
The compensation will be available to NSW Rural Fire Service volunteers who are self-employed or work for small and medium businesses.
Each firefighter can claim for lost income of up to $300 a day.
The payments will not be means-tested, but will only start after a minimum of 10 days on duty, with volunteers able to receive compensation for a maximum 20 days.
The Morrison government has also excluded compensating firefighters who work for bigger businesses with an annual turnover of $50 million or more in the expectation that those larger firms will look after their own staff.
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The move follows the government announcing public servants would be given extra time off to fight fires, with some larger companies such as Woolworths following suit.
Describing the fires as “devastating”, Mr Morrison said the “early” and “prolonged nature” of the current fires season had placed demands on volunteers beyond the norm.
The compensation scheme follows stories that many volunteer firefighters were struggling financially as they battled fires for weeks on end, with some being forced to take out loans to cover their mortgages.
Mr Morrison said the scheme, which followed talks with the state government and NSW Rural Fire Services Commission Shane Fitzsimmons, was about sustaining volunteer efforts by protecting them from financial loss.
“I know that our volunteer firefighters in NSW are doing it tough, especially in rural and regional areas. The season started early and has a long way to go,” Mr Morrison said.
“The early and prolonged nature of this fire season has made a call beyond what is typically made on our volunteer firefighters.
“While I know RFS volunteers don’t seek payment for their service, I don’t want to see volunteers or families unable to pay bills, or struggle financially as a result of the selfless contribution they are making.”
Fires have been burning across NSW since September, claiming eight lives while destroying up to 1000 homes and millions of hectares of bushland.
Veteran Affairs Minister Darren Chester had called for the government to do more, such as paying volunteers the same as professionals when fighting long-running blazes.
However, Mr Morrison said he took his advice from “the organisations running the operational response”.
“That’s what we are doing here,” he said.
“We are responding to the request made by NSW following my visit to South Australia earlier this week, and that’s what we will continue to do.”
Under the scheme, the Commonwealth will provide the funding with the state government to administer the payments.
The government has opened the door to rolling out similar schemes in other states and territories affected by fire, with requests for assistance to be assessed on merit.
The payments will apply to this financial year, with longer-term arrangements to be considered at the next Council of Australian Governments meeting in March following an assessment of the fire season.
“We are now pleased to provide administrative support to the Commonwealth to compensate our brave volunteers for loss of income,” NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
Originally published as ScoMo offers volunteer fireys tax-free compo of up to $6000 each