30-year-old fleets and cracking trucks: Why Victoria’s fire services are chasing billions
Victoria's firefighting services face a significant funding shortfall, requiring $1.5 billion for fleet upgrades but currently possessing only a fraction of that amount. The auditor-general warns that aging equipment and maintenance issues could impact safety during the upcoming fire season.
Why it matters
It underscores the critical infrastructure and safety risks posed by underfunded public emergency services in climate-vulnerable regions.
— 6:04pm , first published 2:19pm
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Share A A A Victoria’s firefighting services are only slated to receive a quarter of the $1.5 billion they need to upgrade and replace their ageing trucks, having been forced to cut back budget requests before a potentially dangerous fire season.
In a report published on Wednesday, the Victorian auditor-general detailed how widespread cracking forced half of the state environment department’s fleet to be removed from service during the last fire season, and that maintenance of Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) trucks had doubled in three years, further reducing availability.
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