State Government leaves Shepparton without critical equipment
By Aaron Cordy
CRITICAL fire equipment destined for Shepparton has been diverted to the Sunshine fire station in Melbourne.
In 2019, the CFA ordered new firefighting vehicles, including a million-dollar Pumper Platform truck designed to fight fires and conduct rescues at a height that is vital for Shepparton with its larger buildings.
The Nationals’ Member for Shepparton District, Kim O’Keeffe, has contacted the Minister for Emergency Services, Jacyln Symes urging the government to reverse its decision after the State Government reallocated a vital firefighting resource pumper platform to metropolitan Melbourne.
“The reallocation of the pumper platform away from Shepparton is a clear example of the Labor government neglecting the needs of regional communities,” Ms O’Keeffe said.
“As the Minister for Emergency Services, Jaclyn Symes should know the consequences of taking this vital equipment away from our community. She needs to explain why the government has made this appalling decision and ignored the risk assessment.”
The risk assessment conducted before the purchase of the pumper platform identified Shepparton as one of two of the highest-risk areas most in need of this equipment due to its increasing number of tall buildings, including Shepparton Law Courts, Goulburn Valley Health, and Greater Shepparton Secondary College.
But now the state Labor government has performed a last-minute backflip and sent the pumper ordered for Shepparton to Sunshine in metropolitan Melbourne.
When the split of the CFA and the creation of Fire Rescue Victoria was proposed, Liberal Member for Northern Victoria, Wendy Lovell raised concerns that this would lead to resources going to Melbourne at the expense of regional cities, and those concerns appear to have come to fruition.
“Shepparton firefighters have been expecting a new Pumper Platform for several years, and staff have been trained to use it. Now at the last minute, the Labor government is sending it to Sunshine, leaving Shepparton in the lurch,” said Ms Lovell.
“The growing number of large facilities and tall buildings around Shepparton, including vital services like our hospital, means the city desperately needs to have a pumper with an aerial platform to fight fires and perform rescues at height, but the state Labor government has prioritised metropolitan Melbourne over Shepparton.
“The Labor government’s backflip is deeply disappointing, and I call on the Minister for Emergency Services to reverse the decision,” said Ms Lovell
