The ongoing and unresolved funding crisis of the CFA has been exposed with the Allan Government finally released the CFA annual report under pressure.
The Nationals’ Melina Bath said frustrated CFA volunteers are highly concerned that they are fighting fires using aging fleet and equipment which is puts lives at risk.
“Analysis of the CFA annual report reveals the organisation is receiving $55 million less in real grant funding than it did in 2020 after four years of inflation.
“The funding crisis comes of the back of year in year funding cuts across the 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 financial years.
“Labor’s claim of a $22 million boost in the 2024–25 budget amounts to only $10 million more than the CFA received in 2020–21.
“The truth is Labor’s funding for our CFA has failed to keep pace with inflation.
“As a result, the CFA is $50 million in deficit and instead of supporting our volunteer service, the Allan Government also cut funding for vital PPE and equipment by $8.3 million.”
Ms Bath said the Premier’s claims that CFA funding had been increased were rebuked by independent Parliamentary Budget Office.
“The numbers tell the truth and show CFA funding has gone backwards under Labor.
“Our CFA volunteers put their lives on the line, yet under Labor they are getting much less despite all households being hit with the new emergency service tax which raises an additional $600 million annually for the state government.
“Labor is continuing to waste billions on mismanaged city centric projects while our CFA brigades are left with fewer resources, fewer volunteers and growing pressure on the ground.”
“Labor can’t manage money, and our hard-working CFA volunteers are paying the price.”
