New Coalition leader Brad Battin says he will review fire services
Brad Battin says he will launch a review into fire services next year. But what would form part of the probe?
Victoria
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A review of Victoria’s country fire services is long overdue and desperately needed, according to new Opposition Leader Brad Battin.
But despite being critical of the government’s handling of emergency services over many years as opposition emergency services spokesman, Mr Battin this week wouldn’t be drawn on what would change under his leadership.
Speaking to The Weekly Times in his first parliamentary sitting week since replacing John Pesutto as Victorian Liberal leader, Mr Battin said there was plenty of proof that scrutiny of the fire service was necessary.
“The evidence is CFA volunteers have left in droves. So yes, we need to review fire services and how it sits in the future,” Mr Battin said.
“In my electorate, in my area, there is a challenge in recruiting volunteers. So we want the CFA to be able to work independently to get the next generation of firefighters involved.”
Mr Battin’s Berwick electorate is close to the Country Fire Authority/Fire Rescue Victoria border in Melbourne’s southeast. He was previously critical of the rollout of the FRB.
However, he struck a concillatory note about the Andrews government-implemented metropolitan fire reforms, suggesting more of a gradual approach to reform if elected.
Mr Battin said reforming the fire services levy and easing the tax burden on farmers and rural businesses would be examined under his new leadership.
“We know we need to get behind our farmers and work more directly with them,” he said.
“We know taxes on farmers and the fire services levy which in some cases is doubling and tripling across the state, farmers are wearing the cost at the moment and it’s putting at risk the viability of farms.”
In other regional policy, Mr Battin hinted at a new road funding reporting system if elected in November 2026.
However, he said it was too early to say whether that would translate to a road funding report issued publicly or a website that updated information on works.
“The message that comes to us from the community is that roads are the number one issue,” he said.
“We want to make sure we have a policy in place and funding available that we can fix our roads. Not just from a safety issue, which is important, but the regional areas are a massive part of our economy.
“So we need to make sure government is open and transparent about that and update people on the actual works that are being done so they can see and feel the improvements.”
A spokesman for Victorian Roads Minister Melissa Horne said: “While the Victorian Liberal Party cut roads funding when they were in power, we’re delivering $964 million worth of road maintenance works across the state this year - with 70 per cent of funding going towards our regional roads.”
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Originally published as New Coalition leader Brad Battin says he will review fire services
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