THE fight against Metropolitan Fire Brigade budget cuts is heating up as firefighters vow to maintain pressure on the state government.
Firefighters from Melbourne’s west rallied at State Parliament this month and met Greens’ emergency services spokeswoman, Colleen Hartland, in Footscray on Friday to lay out their concerns about the $66 million budget cuts.
Firefighters from Footscray, Altona, Newport, Keilor and Deer Park say the cuts stripping $41 million from the CFA and $25 million from the MFB will affect staff numbers and compromise firefighter and community safety.
The United Firefighters Union claims the government has been caught out trying to hide the funding cuts.
But Emergency Services Minister Peter Ryan insists there will be no effect on frontline firefighting services.
“There will be reductions [in funding] for the CFA and MFB; they will be in the order of figures that are being talked about, that is so,” he told ABC Radio.
Firefighters at the meeting with Ms Hartland also discussed Greens’ plans to introduce laws improving access to Workcover insurance and compensation when firefighters get sick on the job.
“All Victorians know that firefighters risk injury, even death to fight fires in this state,” Ms Hartland said.
“The sad truth is that firefighters are far, far more likely to contract a range of cancers due to exposure to toxic carcinogens.”
Ms Hartland said the Greens would work with any party to build the same strong cross-party support that helped similar legislation pass Federal Parliament last year, ensuring better access to Workcover insurance and compensation for ill and injured firefighters.
