CFA union dispute: Volunteer heroes ‘cast adrift’ by deal

CFA volunteers have rallied across Victoria to send a message to Premier Daniel Andrews after he pushed through a pay deal that will sideline volunteer members.

• Dan wields axe for union mates
• As it happened: Premier moves to sack CFA board, Garrett resigns
• Jane Garrett doomed from day one
• Andrews’ diversity cred up in flames: Wendy Tuohy

CFA volunteers have rallied across Victoria to send a message to Premier Daniel Andrews, while he and his Cabinet pushed through a pay deal that will sideline volunteer members.

CFA trucks rolled down Warrnambool’s main street as volunteers rallied to send a message to Mr Andrews.

It was not enough to save Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett, who resigned from her Cabinet role after refusing to support the deal.

Healesville CFA volunteers Owen Johnstone, Travis Damrow, Bill Poppins, Tony Sheaffe, Damien Beeby, Allan Bryant, Norman Riley, (Capt) Graeme Bates, George Trumble and Doug Marriott. Picture: Tim Carrafa

More than 300km away at Healesville, another group of CFA volunteers were shaken by Ms Garrett’s resignation.

They didn’t appear to blame or hold it against her.

“We just feel cast adrift,” station captain Graham Bates, 57, said.

For 40 years Mr Bates has helped save people, homes, farms, land, livestock and pets from the ravages of fires.

Ash Wednesday. Black Saturday. He’s seen horrors so unbearably disturbing we can’t even publish the details.

Like his fellow locals, he’s excellent at his job, highly skilled and well trained.

Volunteers prepared to leave their wives and children in the dead of night when their pagers go off.

All of them are unpaid.

“We do it for our community,” Mr Bates said.

“And now our future seems even more uncertain — Garrett was our voice.”

CFA volunteers protest against government changes in Warrnambool. Picture: Paul Moloney

Would he resign if the UFU deal goes ahead?

“I don’t know, I care about the community but I don’t want to be run by a union or a government,” he said.

“We want to be treated as equals as the paid firefighters.

“We have the same gear, the same workwear and the public respect us.”

The CFA station at Healesville is 130 years old — and several volunteers have protected this community for more than 20 years.

“Being a CFA volunteer is like having a second family,” Damien Beeby, 43, who joined at just 19, said.

“It’s a diverse group of people coming together for a common purpose — to help protect the community.

“It’s a disgrace the way things are unfolding.

“Where could this lead? — the government trying to interfere with the volunteers for the SES or surf rescue?”

There was confusion over what may happen next.

“We are trying to understand what the hell is going on,” Bill Poppins said.

“If it’s working why try and change it? We don’t want to get into this political storm, we just want to be left alone to do our jobs.”

MORE:

Dan wields CFA axe for union mates

Jane Garrett was doomed from day one

WHAT NO SORRY, NO THANK YOU? James Campbell analysis

James Campbell: Premier refusing to pull out of CFA deal

Emergency Services Minister may quit over Premier’s union deal

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews forced to cave in on Union deal

Editorial: Row inflames the country

Black Saturday-hit town stands behind CFA