IT’S not the independent rural fire service they were seeking, but WA’s volunteer firefighters and farm lobby groups have welcomed an announcement from the State Government that will see a new Rural Fire Division established within the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES).
The Rural Fire Division is part of a $128.5 million investment towards critical fire and emergency services announced by the McGowan Government last week, which is to be funded through an increase in the Emergency Services Levy (ESL).
From July 2018 metropolitan landowners will pay an extra $28 each year towards the ESL, while those in regional WA will see an increase between $8 and $17.
The enhanced ESL pool will contribute funds towards a specialised $18m Bushfire Centre of Excellence, along with $15m to the Bushfire Risk Management Plans program and $34.6m to bushfire mitigation efforts.
The government said an ESL Referral and Grants Advisory Committee would also be created to independently scrutinise levy spending.
The announcement comes as a result of on-going pressure on the government to implement 17 recommendations for strategic change outlined in a special inquiry by former Victorian Country Fire Authority chief officer Euan Ferguson, following the 2016 Waroona fires.
Among those was the establishment of a rural fire service, which the report recommended be formed as a separate entity from DFES, or within a sub-department of the agency with an independent budget.
Emergency Services Minister Fran Logan said a fully independent rural fire service had been ruled out under the State’s current financial circumstances, but the new Rural Fire Division within DFES would mark a “new era of enhanced bushfire management”, enabling experienced bushfire volunteers to have greater input.
“For the first time ever, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services will have a division dedicated to rural firefighting and bushfire management,” Mr Logan said.
“Since I took on this portfolio, I have met with bushfire volunteers from the bottom of this State to the top and the overwhelming theme has been the need for greater collaboration.
“We have listened and put in place a division that recognises the input and expertise of our volunteers, but will also harness the best in bushfire management.
“We have to increase our efforts at reducing bushfire risks and this record level of mitigation investment and the new division will help drive efforts to improve community safety.”
The WA Association of Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades (AVBFB) has backed the changes, with president Dave Gossage describing the decision as a “step in the right direction”.
Mr Gossage said while many details remained unknown, the announcement was a positive step forward that would assist in repairing “the damage of the past”.
“We warmly welcome the appointment of Murray Carter to the new role of executive director of the Rural Fire Division and look forward to working with him to develop a leadership team that truly understands the unique needs and motives of the tens of thousands of amazing bush fire brigade volunteers throughout the State,” Mr Gossage said.
“The announcement of a new ESL Referral and Grants Advisory Committee to provide better transparency and accountability with regard to where ESL funds are allocated is excellent news.
“The AVBFB is also very appreciative that Mr Logan appears to have done all he could in the current environment to make the new division as independent of DFES as possible.
“Our ideal was to have a totally independent rural fire service as recommended by the Ferguson Inquiry, but accept that the financial and political reality made that virtually impossible.”
The Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA (PGA) and WAFarmers expressed a similar sentiment, acknowledging the announcement as positive news.
However, PGA president Tony Seabrook said there were plenty of questions still unanswered.
“It’s not quite as much as we were hoping for but better than it might have been – we were hoping for more independence,” Mr Seabrook said.
“I’d like to see how they’re going to allocate the funding, there’s an amount of money that’s been put forward, I’d like to see where they think it’s going to be spent.”
WAFarmers president Tony York said the announcement had been a long time coming and would rebuild confidence within regional communities in the State’s mitigation and management processes.
“Both the Rural Fire Division and Bushfire Centre of Excellence will provide more instantaneous reactions on the ground during fire situations, as well as more power to the people,” Mr York said.
“Volunteer firefighters, often being the landowners themselves, are often the first on the scene during fire events and their experience and knowledge of the land is critical in responding to bushfires and managing the spread.
“By increasing the input from and training of bushfire volunteers, the best knowledge and experience in bushfire management and mitigation is being captured.
“We look forward to seeing the details of the budgetary breakdown for this investment when the State Budget is handed down on May 10.”
