Union wants more bush firefighters

Date: 15 May 2009

Victoria needs around 1500 extra full-time Forest Firefighters to meet the growing bushfire threat, The Australian Workers Union will tell the Bushfires Royal Commission.

The AWU's written submission to the Royal Commission lodged late yesterday says the Brumby Government must triple the area of public land subject to back-burning in order to meet targets recommended last year by State Parliament's Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

Dramatic jump in full-time Forest Firefighters needed now

AWU Victorian Branch State Secretary Cesar Melhem says the extra back-burning (so-called prescribed burning) by the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) would require a full time workforce of between 1500 and 2000 Forest Firefighters - compared to only 239 employed this financial year.

"For more than a decade the Government has run down the number of DSE Forest Firefighters - from around 1500 in the early 1990's to only 239 this year.

Forest Firefighters expected to cover more than 10 times area covered by California equivalents

Now, each full time DSE Firefighter is responsible for an average of 32,200 hectares (80,000 acres) of land - more than 10 times the area covered by an equivalent Firefighter in California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which averages 3,340 hectares (8,250 acres) each", Mr Melhem said.

"In seven of the last 10 years, DSE did not even meet its' own inadequate prescribed burning target of 130,000 hectares per annum - let alone the 385,000 hectares recommended by the Parliamentary Committee."

Union will call Forest Firefighters as witnesses to give evidence

"By skimping on investing in bushfire prevention and mitigation, the Government is costing taxpayers more than 20 times as much in lost assets, emergency responses and recovery measures - on top of the human tragedy of lost lives," Mr Melhem said.

The AWU has been granted conditional leave to appear before the Royal Commission and intends to call some DSE Forest Firefighters as witnesses to give evidence, including about the Black Saturday fires of 7 February when 173 people were killed.

Media Info

WHEN - 9.15am Friday 15 May TODAY

WHERE - Ground floor foyer, County Court, 250 William Street, Melbourne

WHAT - AWU Submission to Bushfires Royal Commission

CONTACT - AWU Victorian Branch Media Officer Jeremy Vermeesch 0431 942 977

INTERVIEWS - AWU Victorian Branch Secretary Cesar Melhem 0418 597 822.

For further information

Contact:	Cesar Melhem, Branch Secretary
Union:	AWU Victoria
Contact Mobile:	0418 597 822
WWW:	http://www.awu.net.au/

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