Tania Maxwell MLC

Tania Maxwell, MLC for Northern Victoria, has called on the State Government to review its requirement on CFA volunteer brigades to fundraise for their own equipment, calling it “unfair and a disadvantage to regional communities”.

Volunteer brigades are currently required to contribute $1 for every $2 of funding from the State Government.

Ms Maxwell said that it was another example of the inequity between metro and regional areas.

Ms Maxwell said that given the severity of the current fire season, this should be addressed as a matter of urgency and separate to the

“Regional volunteer brigades provide an invaluable service to Victoria, demonstrated overwhelmingly in the last 3 weeks in their mobilisation to combat the firestorm battled across multiple areas,” Ms Maxwell said.

“Forcing volunteer brigades to fundraise for their own firetrucks and equipment compromises the safety of our regions and it places an enormous burden on volunteers and on communities, who often struggle already.

“This is another demonstration of the inequity between metro and regional areas. It needs to be scrapped.

“The general public would not expect police to provide their own tasers or divvy vans or for paramedics to pay for their own ambulances,” Ms Maxwell said.