Fire services
Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:29): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. We have asked previously about working across divisions—former CFA division B and former MFB division A—using the example where a part B station 15 minutes away is not able to provide cover for a part A station, with the part A station sourcing staff from Warrnambool, 4 hours away. Can the minister inform the Parliament of what her team has done to address this issue to our community safety caused by union management overtime rorts?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:30): Mrs McArthur, there was a bit of inflammatory language in there. But stripping it back to I think your genuine concern about making sure that community safety is at the forefront of our emergency services responses, which is certainly what drives me, as you would appreciate, similar to my answer to Ms Bath in relation to fire reform and division A and division B, we are still working through some of the matters in relation to enterprise agreements and the like. The simple answer is that when it comes to operational responses, when it comes to firefighters turning out to Victorians in need, I am under no doubt that that is happening and is facilitated. Sometimes it requires firefighters travelling distances to ensure that shifts are covered and to ensure that they are available to turn out when required. This is a very operational decision in relation to who goes where, but it is something that I speak regularly with our fire chief about to get a clearer understanding. It would not be appropriate for me to have any control over the provision of resources. That is certainly a matter for FRV. As I said, to my knowledge there are firefighters always on hand to respond when required.
Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:31): Thank you, Minister. Would it be appropriate for you to comment and answer: how much is overtime costing the taxpayers of Victoria due to your government’s failure to address the issue?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:31): Mrs McArthur, similar to my answers to both of the questions in relation to fire services reform, fire services reform is an ongoing process. We have continual conversations predominately facilitated by the implementation monitor. He works with both the CFA and the FRV in relation to reform. We have always said reform would take time, and issues that you have raised, such as the requirement of people to be available, the requirement of people to perhaps travel and all of the related things that go with that, particularly in relation to trying to merge existing enterprise agreements and the like, are processes that are underway and continuing.