Wimmera leaders worried volunteer fire-fighters could lose Country Fire Authority Board seats

The union made a submission to the government last week in the wake of a parliamentary inquiry into the CFA’s Fiskville training centre. 

The union wants two positions on the nine-person board. Volunteers have four positions.

Member for Lowan Emma Kealy said the Wimmera relied heavily on volunteers rather than paid fire-fighters, and did not want to see their representation diminished. She said volunteers made up 97 per cent of the CFA.

‘‘This board is responsible for one of the world’s largest volunteer organisations,’’ she said.

‘‘How on earth could city-based union officials possibly better represent the views of volunteers than the volunteers themselves?’’

Ms Kealy raised concerns the union was pushing for paid positions to overtake volunteer fire-fighters.

Member for Ripon Louise Staley said she was also worried volunteers’ voices would be reduced.

‘‘Our state owes its current existence to volunteer fire-fighters,’’ she said. ‘‘After everything they have done for us, we owe them a voice and we owe them the right to be heard.’’

United Firefighters Union Victoria secretary Peter Marshall said the union was pushing for career fire-fighters to have parity with volunteers.

‘‘Career fire-fighters handle up to 80 per cent of responses by the CFA. It is fair and reasonable that they also have representation on the board,’’ he said.

‘‘Fire-fighting is like no other profession; as people flee from danger, firefighters go toward it.

‘‘Therefore it is totally appropriate that fire-fighters – both volunteer and professional – have a say in life and death issues that affect them.’’

District 17 Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria state councillor Maurice Dumesny said he would be happy for paid fire-fighters to have two positions on the board, as long as volunteers kept the four positions they had.

‘‘I can’t see a problem with the paid staff being represented, as long as the volunteers don’t lose their representation,’’ he said.

‘‘Maybe the government would be interested in a bigger board, but I’d hate to see us lose our four representatives.

‘‘We’ve got 59,000 to 60,000 volunteers and they would have to have less than 1000. If we kept our four and they had two, so be it.’’

Victorian Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett said while the union had made a passionate submission to the Fiskville inquiry, it was important to wait for its recommendations.

‘‘We must have good governance and diversity on the boards of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade and the CFA,’’ she said.

‘‘We are already working with the United Firefighters Union in many other ways to ensure their views are heard and respected.’’