Trafalgar CFA may lose volunteers

Member for Narracan Gary Blackwood said the primary firefighting response would be handed to the full-time professionally staffed Latrobe West brigade, based at Moe.

From July 1 the full-time components of the CFA and the Metropolitan Fire Brigade will be amalgamated by the State government to create a new Fire Rescue Victoria service.

The legislation would give the fully staffed stations priority to attend fires within eight minutes of their bases.

The Trafalgar and Westbury stations have now been deemed, according to the proposed Bill, to be within that time frame of Moe.

The volunteer brigades could be called on if it was deemed additional firefighting units were needed.

Mr Blackwood claimed that the CFA was initially told that boundaries of the FRV would not encroach of those of the volunteer brigades but that advice would be over turned if the legislation passes.

He said he’d been contacted by Trafalgar and Westbury brigades as well as several long-serving volunteers concerned the government’s action was “demeaning their long-held role of protecting their communities”.

He said a number he’d spoken with feared many volunteers would resign as a result.

The Trafalgar brigade was established 93 years ago and currently has 60 volunteer members; Westbury was formed 75 years ago.

Mr Blackwood said the Bill to be presented to parliament “was tacked onto” one dealing with the state’s Protective Services Officers.

The Opposition will move to split off the sections related to CFA boundaries and then considered independently of those concerning PSOs.

Member for Morwell Russell Northe said in parliament last Thursday that despite assurances by the government that CFA members had not been treated with the respect they deserved and a number of commitments to them had been broken.

With the creation of FRV only days away he said there were many questions unanswered including what happens with tankers, breathing apparatus vans and CFA stations.

Mr Blackwood said other concerns raised by the brigades were the loss of local knowledge, fire ground experience and leadership and the sustainability of their brigades as well as severely affecting their communities’ safety.

Minister for Police and Emergency Services Lisa Neville on Thursday announced the appointments of FRV’s commissioner Ken Block and six deputy commissioners to lead the organisation from July 1.

The deputy commissioners are Kenneth Brown and David Bruce, both currently with the MFB; current assistant commissioner of Queensland’s fire and emergency services Michelle Young; Gavin Freeman, who has served with the Tasmania fire serve and the CFA; Martin Braid, and Brendan Angwin.

Organisers of the Thorpdale Potato Festival have made the early call to cancel next year’s event.

The committee last week announced the festival, due to be held in March 2021, would be cancelled due to considerations of health and welfare, sponsors, community and hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Committee spokesperson Barbara Butterworth said the decision was reached after considerable debate and all issues were discussed at depth.

“It was not an easy decision,” she said. “However, we are sure that the Thorpdale Potato Festival will bounce back on the Sunday of the Labour Day weekend in March 2022, with much more to tempt people from far and wide.”