“Our Rural Fire Service is not getting the support and resources they need from the State Government.
These volunteers are responsible for looking after 93 per cent of our vast state.
They’re the ones who will come running when a bushfire is bearing down.
But Labor has stopped listening.
If the state government doesn’t start paying attention, I fear the position Queensland will be in if these dedicated volunteers walk.
We know that draft amendments to the Fire Service Act are on the table, and I can’t stress how important it is that the RFS is heard.
I haven’t seen the legislation but by all reports, it needs a lot of work before it proceeds.
What we do know is that a handful of representatives from the Rural Fire Brigade Association of Queensland were given just seven days from the receipt of the draft legislation to consult with the Association’s membership and supply a response.
That’s simply not good enough.
I recently sat down with several representatives from brigades across Bundaberg and the Burnett.
The message was clear: the State Labor Government has turned their back on them.
It’s time to start listening, get serious on the issues that really matter and provide some certainty for the future.
Queenslanders deserve hope over fear.”
21/02/2024