PM Scott Morrison promises ongoing boost to aerial firefighting funding
Australia’s aerial firefighting capabilities will be bolstered after Scott Morrison promised an extra $11m each year.
Australia’s aerial firefighting capabilities will be bolstered after Scott Morrison promised an extra $11m each year on a rolling basis following pressure from fire chiefs.
NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has urged the Prime Minister to commit to long-term funding for the National Aerial Firefighting Centre, which has 147 planes at its disposal.
Mr Fitzsimmons told The Daily Telegraph a business case had been with the federal government for 18 months without a “positive response”.
Former NSW fire chief Greg Mullins has also criticised the government over the business case that he claimed was “languishing in Canberra”.
Mr Morrison said the $11m requested by fire chiefs would be detailed in the May budget “on an ongoing basis”.
“In response to that business case, the government responded with two separate decisions of $11m which brought it up to the same level of capacity as was sought by that business case,” Mr Morrison said.
“There was a first decision which I announced just over a year ago and Linda (Reynolds) was the emergency management minister at the time and more recently just before this Christmas, there was a second supplementary investment of $11m which supported the same business case proposition.
“That ongoing support will be there at that level in the budget and going forward.”
The NAFC receives a $15m grant annually from the commonwealth, taking its total yearly funding from the federal government to $26m.
Mr Mullins has also demanded more water bombers to assist the NAFC’s fleet.
Mr Morrison committed $20m for four new fire bombers on Saturday, with the planes due to arrive in the next two weeks.
Before Mr Morrison’s announcement, Anthony Albanese backed a call by Mr Mullins to look overseas to increase Australia’s firefighting aircraft.
“We should be maximising use of all of our assets,” the Opposition Leader said.
There are 500 aircraft provided by over 150 operators available for firefighting across Australia.
Aircraft are contracted by the NAFC on behalf of state and territory governments.
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