There is no better time that “Right Now” to implement State Government changes that can help put the “Rural” back into the “Rural Fire Service”.
Relocation of the Rural Fire Service Head Office was always inevitable and now that the public has been informed of the pending relocation, perhaps it is timely to look at decentralisation.
Councillor John Tramby raised the issue at last week’s council meeting, saying rural firefighters were not only volunteering their time to save lives and properties – sometimes they were taking a financial hit to do so.
Now the Baulkham Hills state Liberal MP is responsible for all emergency services in NSW after being announced as the new Emergency Services Minister today.
It’s a significant step up, but Mr Elliott is looking forward to steering the portfolio in the right direction.
Prime Minister, Tony Abbott was awarded a medal for his volunteer work at Davidson Rural Fire Brigade, where he regularly volunteers.
The Daily Telegraph captures the moment with photos and text.
NSW National Parks, the Forestry Corporation of NSW and local governments have received more than $2.5 million in funding to support activities to manage bush fire risks.
The Bushfire Risk Management Grants Scheme will fund 126 projects as part of the Natural Disaster Resilience Program, which is administered by the Commonwealth and state government.
Listen to Group Captain, Warren Kimber, from Bombala on the NSW South Coast telling the ABC Radio’s Jen Hunt about the issues Volunteers are facing today under the bloated NSW Rural Fire Service bureaucracy.
It’s claimed a long running turf war over the control of fire fighting in NSW is affecting fire ground operations as the NSW Rural Fire Service faces internal criticism about its accountability and review processes following major fires. Gregg Borschmann reports.
Western Australia needs to have more controlled burns to curb the risk of out-of-control bushfires, the WA premier says.
Mr Underwood said Australia was “doomed to savage bushfires” without prescribed burns.
VFFA President, Peter Cannon was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the general division as recognition for his tireless contribution to emergency services as a volunteer bushfire fighter. Peter joined his local brigade at Bulgandramine almost 50 years ago.
This post is an article that was published in The Land newspaper on Australia Day.
Councils are sick of working through the muddied waters of the costly RFS administration.