CFA volunteer only as controversial Bill passed

The CFA will be volunteer only as controversial legislation was passed but some fear the overhaul is a “big step backward” and will push aside any unpaid help in the future.

CFA volunteers will be able to stay at the integrated stations, but there are concerns volunteers will be pushed aside into the future. File picture: Glenn Ferguson

The Country Fire Authority will become a volunteer-only service after the Andrews Government finally passed its controversial shake-up of the state’s fire agencies.

The Legislative Council voted in favour of the Bill to create a new organisation called Fire Rescue Victoria, which will bring together all MFB and CFA career firefighters to service Melbourne, outer urban areas and larger regional centres as agency boundaries are changed.

The legislation also provides presumptive rights to cancer compensation for firefighters.

The government hopes the reforms — to come into effect by the middle of 2020 — will end years of bitter industrial disputes and improve the state’s firefighting service, particularly in major growth corridors.

After Labor manufactured the overhaul to solve legal issues with the CFA’s workplace agreement, it was voted down last year when two Liberal MPs reneged on a parliamentary pairing deal on Good Friday.

The CFA will be volunteer only under the new Bill. Some CFA volunteers blacking out smouldering trees in Garfield. Picture: Keith Pakenham/AFSM CFA

Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said this week that the government now had an election mandate to deliver the reforms.

It received support from Greens MP Samantha Ratnam, Reason Party leader Fiona Patten, the Animal Justice Party’s Andy Meddick and fellow crossbencher Catherine Cumming.

The MFB and CFA have been working behind the scenes for months to prepare for the overhaul, but some fear it will jeopardise the state’s volunteer capacity.

“This legislation has no community safety benefits and represents a big step backward in effective fire and emergency services, pushing volunteers aside into the future,” Emergency Volunteer Awareness Campaign director Garth Head said.

“Our message to all volunteers is this — don’t give up.”

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He said the changes handed too much power to the United Firefighters Union.

CFA volunteers will be able to remain at the state’s 38 integrated fire stations, serving alongside Fire Rescue Victoria staff.

“Our firefighters are the best in the world and as our population grows, we’re making sure that they and the Victorian community have the modern fire service that they deserve,” Ms Neville said.

Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria chief executive Adam Barnett said many CFA volunteers would be feeling “betrayed and broken-hearted” and deeply disappointed “for quite some time”.

He said many believed parts of the reforms may be “unworkable”, but it was important to come together to put communities first and protect lives and property.

“For our part VFBV is committed to working hard with the government, agencies and all stakeholders to find common ground and heal the divisions of the recent past,” Mr Barnett said in a statement.