$115K specialist Queensland Fire and Emergency Service job canned

Recruitment for a very specialised highly-paid roll with the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services has been quietly shelved after an internal review found the position was not required.

THE recruitment of a highly-paid climate change officer to Queensland Fire and Emergency Services has been quietly shelved after an internal review found the role was not required.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services last summer started recruiting for a ‘climate change officer’ to join the department on a salary of up to $115,000. QFES advertised the position on the Queensland government’s Smart Jobs portal in December 2019 but quickly pulled the ad after it was revealed management had not signed off on the role. It was due to be readvertised in January, however a QFES spokesman has confirmed recruitment was cancelled.

“Queensland Fire and Emergency Services did not proceed with the appointment of this position after a review of the work program found existing resources were adequate to fulfil the requirements of this role,” he said.

The successful applicant was to develop “best-practice approaches” to embed climate change effects into QFES plans and processes, the ad said.

Griffith University School of Medicine Director Cordia Chu said emergency services must prepare for an increase in the frequency and danger of disasters.

“We need to deal with risk reduction and better prepare. It must not be business as usual – preparation must factor in climate change projections,” she said.

QFES’ ad for a climate change officer drew criticism from the Opposition, which said the money would be better spent on rural fire services and hazard-reduction burning.