Hundreds of Tasmanian firefighters and SES volunteers have rallied across the state to demand more clarity on proposed reforms to the Fire Service Act.
The rallies brought together members from various firefighting associations, including UFU Fire Rescue Tasmania, Tasmanian Volunteer Fire Brigades Association, the SES Volunteers Association and the Tasmanian Retained Volunteer Firefighters Association.
Unions have accused Minister Felix Ellis of ‘playing with fire’, but the government claims to be engaging with personnel.
A review of the Fire Service Act is expected next month, but industry members say they feel ‘uninformed’ despite a five-year review process.
Firefighters want a fair deal for both volunteers and those who work as career firefighters.
They say the current law is 40 years old and urgently needs reform.
The proposed funding changes and the lack of an independent secretary not also serving as the Police Commissioner also worry the firefighters.
In their plea for reform, the firefighters stress the importance of having a fire service that can make its own decisions and take responsibility for its resources and decisions.
In a statement, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management Felix Ellis called for bipartisan support when presenting the reforms to Parliament in the coming months.
The minister said the proposed reforms are based on key recommendations from independent reviews, including the Blake Review and Stevens Report.
“It is abundantly obvious that our career staff and volunteers are passionate about their service and want it to be even better, and that is what we will be seeing today,” Ellis said.
“Fundamentally, these reforms are about how can we put our service in the best possible position to save lives and keep people safe in emergencies.”
“The reforms will empower our TFES, deliver a fair, sustainable funding model with ringfenced funding, and reduce bureaucracy by establishing a direct link between the Minister and the new Commissioner of TFES.”
