Firies fear review a threat to service

TASMANIAN firefighters fear a review of the Fire Service Act threatens to destroy the political independence of the fire service.

The firefighters union is pleading with politicians to leave the State Fire Commission alone and say the review includes three of the four recommendations which do not include a State Fire Commission with statutory authority.

The union says plans to remove the commission’s statutory authority will place power in the hands of the Minister for Police Fire and Emergency Management.

United Firefighters Union Tasmania industrial organiser Stephen McCallum said removing the statutory authority was dangerous.

“The State Fire Commission is an essential service and something Tasmanians can’t afford to have politicised and used for political means,” Mr McCallum said.

“There is no point in having fire industry experts who could be ignored by the government of the day. We need to have fire industry experts running the day-to-day operations of the fire service, not political hacks looking to win some quick votes,” he said.

Mr McCallum feared that removing the statutory authority could lead to fire service funds being allocated elsewhere.

“Having an independent State Fire Commission also means that money collected by local government for the Fire Service Levy is spent by the State Fire Commission and isn’t rerouted by treasury.”

Minister Mark Shelton rejected the union’s fears.

“A re-elected majority Liberal government will not abolish the State Fire Commission. We value the work of the Commission and it will continue to be an important part of our plan to keep Tasmanian communities safe,” he said.