Wednesday, 5 February 2025

Ministers statements: Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:50): I would like to speak about how we are making funding for our state’s emergency response fairer through the new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund – obviously a perfect transition from my previous portfolio to my new one. It is a valuable opportunity to back the Allan Labor government’s commitment to ensuring that our hardworking emergency services volunteers and frontline ES personnel have sustainable funding to be able to do what they do so well, and that is to protect and save Victorian lives and property. We are seeing the huge impact of climate change and population growth here in Victoria on our emergency services. CFA and VICSES have of course been on the ground sacrificing time with their families over the holiday period responding to fires in the Grampians and surrounds – more than 57 days straight responding to that incident. We are also very grateful for many of the SES volunteers who have responded to wild weather incidents that have hit the state. The new fund will help support our broader range of emergency services to better respond to the needs of Victorians and to bring us into line with other states.

Alongside the fund, we are investing $250 million to support our dedicated emergency services organisations and volunteers. It means more operational funding for VICSES units and CFA brigades; a rolling fleet replacement scheme for CFA and VICSES; a doubling of the annual volunteer emergency services equipment program – a very popular program; and more money for volunteer training and modernisation of the VicEmergency app, which I would encourage you all to download if you have not already. Because our CFA and VICES volunteers give us so much –

Members interjecting.

Sheena Watt: On a point of order, President, the minister was making some remarks that I found particularly interesting, but I had terrible trouble hearing. Is it possible that you could make a ruling? I was terribly interested about the future health of our state when it comes to fires and emergency services –

Georgie Crozier interjected.

Sheena Watt: Yes, exactly. That is right. I would ask for your ruling about making that clear for all of us in the chamber to be able to hear and enjoy her contribution.

Nick McGowan: On the point of order, President, I know I missed yesterday, but I did think that the minister is now the Treasurer, no longer the Minister for Emergency Services. So I was sitting here wondering why the minister is giving a statement on emergency services and how that relates to her portfolios.

The PRESIDENT: I think there is nothing in the standing orders around what topics the minister will choose to do a ministers statement on. The minister is doing a ministers statement in her role as Treasurer, I believe.

Jaclyn SYMES: Further to the point of order, President, and responding to the interjection, the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund is the responsibility of the Treasurer. You might have noticed when we announced it last year that I talked about the benefit to the volunteers but the Treasurer actually announced the fund. Now I am the Treasurer, so I am talking about the fund –

Members interjecting.

Jaclyn SYMES: This fund is a responsibility for the Treasurer, but importantly –

The PRESIDENT: I kind of felt that was a point of clarification, which we do not have, but it was still helpful, I think.

Jaclyn SYMES: Because CFA and VICSES volunteers give us so much, we will provide an exemption to eligible active volunteers and life members. That was not part of the previous fire services property levy, so this is something that has been welcomed. It is about making sure our emergency services are fairly funded and have the equipment they need to do what they do best, and most importantly, it is what thousands of VICSES volunteers asked us to do.

The PRESIDENT: On the earlier point of order, I did not actually address Ms Watt’s point of order about not being able to hear. With ministers statements, we are all on board that unless someone is being provocative in their statement and provoking response from one side of the chamber or the other, they should be heard in silence. I am happy to give the minister the opportunity if she wants to go over it again, because it was very hard to hear. But if members are happy that we can continue on without that, I will take Ms Watt’s point of order into account into the future, because it was right.