MEMBER for Western Victoria Stuart Grimley has called on the state government to review its Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP) amid the bushfire crisis, calling it “unfair” and a “disadvantage to regional and rural communities”.<\/p>\n
As part of the program, volunteer-run emergency service organisations are required to contribute $1 for every $2 of funding from the state government.<\/p>\n
While grants of up to $150,000 are offered, Mr Grimley said the initiative was an example of the “inequity between metropolitan and regional\/rural areas”.<\/p>\n
He also said the establishment of Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) later this year will see the Country Fire Authority (CFA) restored as a volunteer firefighter organisation, and it needed to be adequately funded at state level.<\/p>\n
“Rural and regional areas require fire services to be well equipped just as much as Melbourne’s fire crews do.<\/p>\n
“Already there is inequity through the establishment of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) as a volunteer-only organisation\u2026 the least we can do as a state is fund the equipment our volunteers use.<\/p>\n
“This shouldn’t discourage fundraising for volunteer brigades, but it should mean vital equipment and infrastructure \u2013 and ultimately community safety – doesn’t ride on the back of the success of sausage sizzles and highway collections.”<\/p>\n
Mr Grimley said the severity of the 2019\/20 bushfires was an indicator of what’s to come and that VESEP should be addressed as a matter of urgency.<\/p>\n
“Fire seasons are only going to get worse and our regional and rural communities need to be prepared\u2026 this includes with adequate equipment.<\/p>\n
“You wouldn’t expect police to fundraise for capsicum spray and divvy vans or for paramedics to fundraise for medications, IV drips and ambulance vans.”<\/p>\n
Mr Grimley voted against the Fire Services Bill \u2013 which included the establishment of FRV \u2013 in 2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MEMBER for Western Victoria Stuart Grimley has called on the state government to review its Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP) amid the bushfire crisis, calling it “unfair” and a “disadvantage to regional and rural communities”. As part of the program, volunteer-run emergency service organisations are required to contribute $1 for every $2 of funding […]<\/p>\n