New committee in wake of ongoing CFA dispute

The state government has announced establishment of a new CFA performance committee in the wake of an ongoing enterprise bargaining dispute.

The government announced on Friday morning it had reached a “fair and balanced” resolution to the dispute but hours later its emergency services minister Jane Garrett resigned and premier Daniel Andrews signalled he would dismiss the CFA board.

Ms Garrett and the CFA board refused to accept the government’s revised workplace deal for paid and voluntary CFA members.

On Friday the state government announced it had accepted the Fair Work Commission’s recommendation to end the long running enterprise agreement dispute with Country Fire Authority firefighters.

Hours later, Mr Andrews released a statement advising the government had begun proceedings to dismiss the CFA board.

“The CFA board has indicated its refusal to support the agreement.

“I do not have confidence in the ability of the board to end a dispute that has gone on for far too long and to deliver the reform that the Country Fire Authority needs to keep our community safe.

“Volunteer and career firefighters have told us they’re sick of being used as a political football – they want this fixed so they can focus on fighting fires and keeping their communities safe,” he said.

On Saturday, the government announced a new Country Fire Authority Performance and Policy Consultative that it said would unite career firefighters, volunteers and management to improve the CFA’s performance and culture.

The committee will work on an agreed set of priorities to improve its performance and culture.

Issues to be targeted by the new committee include:

Improving culture and diversity within the organisation;

Ways to increase recruitment and retention of women firefighters;

Harnessing innovation and ways to deliver better services;

Recognising and valuing the work of volunteers and career firefighters; and, Health and wellbeing of firefighters. Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley will be a member of the committee, and his work in monitoring implementation of the enterprise agreement and strengthening volunteer firefighting will guide the committee’s work.