Bushfire fleet shortfall targeted in $200 million Coalition pitch to the regions

More than 300 fire trucks would be added to Victoria’s ageing fleet over the next five years under an election promise from the state opposition, as it seeks to win back the regions from Labor and stave off One Nation.

The $200 million independently costed policy would also pay for 17 new or upgraded Country Fire Authority stations across Victoria, boost recruitment and create an ombudsman to oversee complaints and disputes made by volunteer firefighters.

A report by the auditor-general, released this month, warned that the state’s fire services were set to receive only a quarter of the $1.5 billion needed to replace their ageing trucks before a super El Nino that could create catastrophic bushfire conditions.

The Coalition’s plan to deliver new fire trucks would begin in July next year and ultimately deliver 100 trucks a year, allowing for the retirement of 802 single-cab tankers within 10 years.

The funding boost, on top of existing money to deliver trucks, follows a Coalition promise to repeal the controversial Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund, a property tax tied to land values that doubled under Labor and is hated by many CFA volunteers.

“More than half of Victoria’s fire trucks are at least 15 years old, volunteer numbers are falling and hundreds of firefighters are still exposed on the back of tankers,” said Opposition Leader Jess Wilson.

“That’s not good enough. Our volunteers deserve better, and Victorian families deserve to know help will be there when they need it.”

Nationals leader Danny O’Brien said CFA brigades had been calling out for modern trucks and upgraded facilities to protect and assist them when fighting fires.

“Our five-year fleet program gives the CFA a pipeline of trucks it can plan around and manufacturers the certainty to plan, hire and build,” he said.

On Monday, Premier Ben Carroll will return to the Labor campaign bus to announce a $26.9 million commitment to expand the opening hours for 10 public dental clinics, so Victorians can access care at weekends.

Labor last month announced a $167 million funding boost to deliver another 150 fire trucks over 10 years, including 100 for the CFA. The party is facing a major voter backlash in regional hubs such as Ballarat and Bendigo, where the Coalition is hoping to gain ground.

The relationship between the government and the CFA has deteriorated since Labor passed legislation last year to double the controversial Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund.

Many CFA volunteers, in particular farmers, were furious at the doubling of the levy and launched a campaign to “scrap the tax”. The Coalition has promised to revert the tax to the lower-cost Fire Services Property Levy model.

Labor had also made a number of funding cuts to the CFA before increasing its budget in 2024-25.

The government is in talks with the United Firefighters Union (UFU) over a new pay deal. The union, which once championed Labor, is running ads urging Victorians to vote the government out.

Last week, a bullet inscribed with the word “rat” was left on the windscreen of Emergency Services Minister Paul Edbrooke’s car. Also etched into the bullet was the five-digit ID number from Edbrooke’s 14 years as a professional firefighter. The minister has linked the threat to elements of the UFU.

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