Local member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney today said Port Fairy Fire Brigade would receive $87,000 from this year’s Community Safety Emergency Support Program (CSESP).
Ms Tierney said the funding would help the brigade secure an Ultra Light Tanker – Nissan Patrol
This would boost its response capacity as the light tankers are designed to get to a fire quickly and suppress it. These vehicles can access areas larger tankers cannot, allowing the brigade to continue its vital work.
“Drought and environmental factors such as climate change are placing regional areas at greater risk and it is vital to maintain well-resourced volunteer emergency services groups.
“Be it flood, fire, storm or water rescues, our volunteers are ready to respond and help with recovery efforts. Their tireless hard work and dedication help keep Victoria safe,” she said.
The grant is part of more than $2.64 million going to CFA brigades across the state, helping 44 brigades secure about $4.8 million in additional emergency services equipment.
This year the Brumby Government also announced a special $1 million one-off program to assist CFA brigades seeking slip-on units – small ultra light fire-fighting vehicles, an additional 16 of these ultra light trucks will be purchased under the program,” she said.
“During the past three fire seasons, these vehicles were proven to be an operational success.
“The all-terrain vehicles give brigades greater flexibility when deploying personnel and equipment while enabling them to attend to wider response areas faster.”
The CSESP funding builds on $18.3million in grants distributed over the past eight years, enabling volunteer emergency services organisations to buy more than $46 million of supplementary equipment to date. The CFA received almost $10.6 million in grants over this period.
The grants would support record levels of investment into making Victoria’s world class emergency services even stronger, Ms Tierney said.
“The State Government has more than doubled the emergency services’ core budget since 1999 – from $254 million to $587 million this year.
“The recent State Budget committed an additional $20.5 million to emergency services initiatives. We have also renewed the CSESP to offer $11 million in grants over four years.
“The additional funding supports our commitment to maintain well-resourced emergency services and provides volunteer groups with extra equipment to help them carry out their important work,” she said.
Ms Tierney said the grants program helped build successful partnerships between communities, volunteers, emergency service organisations and government.
“The Brumby Government values the vital work volunteers do, responding to a wide range of emergencies to assist their communities in times of need, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year” she said.
