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Sky News AU
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Leaked briefing lays bare critical failures in Victoria's firefighting fleet as executives warn ageing trucks are jeopardising public safety
A confidential internal report has exposed major failings in Victoria's firefighting capability, with Fire Rescue Victoria's (FRV) top brass acknowledging widespread deficiencies in truck availability and a looming shortfall in critical equipment. The documents, leaked to the Herald Sun, indicate that more than 130 firefighting appliances are set to exceed their 15-year service threshold, even as the government commits $10 million towards upgrades, a figure insiders say barely scratches the surface. The report, presented to FRV's executive leadership team last month, outlined alarming issues including increased mechanical failures, soaring maintenance downtime, and an inability to meet essential replacement targets. Fewer than half of the 144 vehicles due to be phased out over the next five years are expected to be replaced under current plans. Fire chiefs explicitly warned of 'significant deficiencies' in the availability of working trucks, casting fresh doubt on Victoria's capacity to respond to future fire emergencies. United Firefighters Union Secretary Peter Marshall did not hold back, saying the leaked documents demonstrate a clear knowledge among leadership of the dangers facing both emergency responders and the public. 'Firefighters are putting their lives on the line to protect the public every single day,' Mr Marshall said. 'They are doing it in ancient, unsafe trucks that should not be on the road. They are a danger to public safety and firefighter safety. 'For years, Commissioner Gavin Freeman and his executive leadership team have been claiming that there is no danger but this document shows that there is a danger, that they know there is a danger, and that they have been misleading the public and firefighters about it. 'Firefighters and emergency services workers have lost confidence in their leadership and they must resign. 'If they do not resign they should be removed from their position so the fire service can be led by someone that firefighters and the Victorians they protect can have confidence in.' Among the most urgent concerns raised is a lack of aerial trucks, used to combat fires from above, which are already in short supply. Shortfalls in the more commonly used pumper trucks are now also emerging. The briefing calls for immediate capital investment in modern vehicles, a ramp-up in maintenance capacity, and the use of more robust, defendable data to better forecast the fleet's performance and reliability into the future. Despite the growing backlash, FRV Commissioner Gavin Freeman has maintained a defensive stance. In a public statement issued earlier this year, he attempted to downplay the concerns surrounding vehicle age. 'Victorians should know that fire trucks do not expire simply because they reach a certain age,' he said at the time. 'These appliances are specially built and can remain in service for long periods, depending on their usage and workload. 'While FRV has more than 200 fire trucks in operation, I want to assure Victorians of the investment being made to upgrade our firefighting fleet right across Victoria.' Commissioner Freeman also cited the lengthy procurement process involved in fleet renewal, noting that it can take as long as two years to deliver a single new fire truck due to the specialised nature of the equipment. A spokesperson for FRV has confirmed that an independent review is underway, aimed at assessing the condition of the current fleet and the agency's broader maintenance framework. 'FRV is proactively planning for the future and has made strong progress in updating our fleet and embracing new technology and innovation,' the spokesperson said. 'Victorians should rest assured they will always be protected in an emergency.'
The Guardian
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘Disgusting' slogan apparently directed at Victorian premier seen at rally attended by Brad Battin and union boss
The Victorian opposition leader, Brad Battin, and firefighters union boss, Peter Marshall, have sparked backlash after attending a rally in Melbourne's west where the slogan 'ditch the bitch' was emblazoned on a fire truck. The phrase, apparently directed at the premier, Jacinta Allan, echoes the infamous 'ditch the witch' poster that Tony Abbott stood in front of during a 2011 rally, which was widely condemned at the time as sexist and misogynistic toward the then prime minister Julia Gillard. Gillard made reference to the sign in her 2012 misogyny speech and later said it should have been a 'career-ending moment' for Abbott. Other slogans displayed on the truck at Sunday's rally in Werribee, held against the government's new emergency services levy, included 'Truck Jacinta' and 'Raping the regions for the ring of steel' – a reference to the Covid-19 policy that separated Melbourne from regional Victoria. Micaela Drieberg, the chief executive of Gender Equity Victoria, said it was 'hard to believe' that 'disgusting signage insulting our leaders based on their gender' continued to be used. 'We would never accept this based on someone's race, and we should hold the same standards with gender,' Drieberg said. 'It's exhausting and demoralising for women in leadership, and we have been here before. We saw this issue brought to the forefront over 15 years ago when we saw similar signage directed at Julia Gillard, our sole female prime minister. 'It wasn't acceptable then and it isn't acceptable now.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Helen Bolton, the chief executive of Respect Victoria, described the slogans as 'misogynistic language' that 'has no place in public debate'. 'This type of language sets the tone for how women are treated – in public life, in schools, workplace and behind closed doors – so it needs to be challenged and called out for what it is – sexism,' she said. It is understood the slogans were the work of female volunteers from the Country Fire Authority's Pura Pura brigade. The CFA has been approached for comment. Both Battin and Marshall, the Victorian branch secretary of the United Firefighters Union, delivered speeches at the event from atop another fire truck. Battin said he stood with CFA volunteers and farming families affected by the 'unfair' levy. 'I attended the rally to listen and call for its removal. I do not endorse offensive signs or language at the protest – anger should not become personal attacks,' he said. 'Farmers and volunteers are under severe financial and emotional strain, with tragic consequences.' Allan is currently on leave. In a statement, the acting premier, Jaclyn Symes, accused Battin of 'turning a blind eye to sexist slogans at rallies he attends'. 'This pathetic display from Brad Battin tells you everything about the Liberals' deep-rooted issues with respecting women,' Symes said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'In the [Victorian] Liberal party, women aren't in the leadership team, they're not at the decision-making table, and they're not respected – they're on their own.' She also stressed the slogans 'do not represent the thousands of men and women that volunteer for the CFA and have been at pains to make women feel safe in their ranks'. Battin would not say whether he was aware of the slogans while at the event. A spokesperson for the UFU said Marshall wasn't. 'This language is unacceptable. Mr Marshall and the UFU condemn it in the strongest possible terms,' they said. 'Those who displayed the slogans have no association with the UFU and the union had no forewarning that this language would be used at the public event.' Only UFU-endorsed slogans were displayed on UFU-branded placards, they added. The protest was sparked by anger over the emergency services levy, which replaces the fire services levy and provides funding to the CFA, SES, State Control Centre and triple-zero – agencies facing increased pressure due to more frequent and extreme weather events. The levy will raise the average annual bill by $63 for residential homeowners and $678 for primary producers, leading to backlash from some farmers and firefighters. The government, however, paused the introduction of the levy for farmers in 2025–26 due to the drought affecting parts of the state. At a protest over the levy in May, a farmer left a box of manure outside Allan's parliament office, which the premier described at the time as 'inappropriate'. She also criticised Battin for failing to condemn Liberal MPs who allowed the farmer into the parliamentary precinct. Allan has also been subjected to a gendered cartoon, depicting her as a nude catwalk model, soon after she became premier. She previously told Guardian Australia seeing the cartoon 'was like a blow to the stomach' but she chose to call it out, citing Gillard's experience.
ABC News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Firefighters pass no-confidence vote against Fire Rescue Victoria's leadership
Victorian firefighters have delivered an overwhelming vote of no confidence in Fire Rescue Victoria's (FRV) leadership, becoming the third Victorian emergency service to withdraw support for those in command in the past year. The United Firefighters Union (UFU) is stuck in a protracted industrial dispute with FRV and the Allan government over pay and conditions and it has also raised the alarm about aging and dangerous vehicles. The vote saw 2,896 members of the 3,700 eligible cast a ballot, with 90 per cent voting they did not have confidence in FRV commissioner Gavin Freeman, acting deputy secretary Tony Matthews and acting executive director Tom McPherson. Earlier this year, former Victorian police chief commissioner Shane Patton resigned following a no-confidence motion. Last year, Ambulance Victoria's chief executive Jane Miller also resigned following a similar vote of members. UFU secretary Peter Marshall has written to Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Emergency Services Minister Vicki Ward advising them of the ballot outcome and requesting that they consider the direction and performance of the leadership. Mr Marshall said the relationship with leadership was "untenable" and said membership had been hit by serious technical, operational and industrial failures. "We've seen an 800 per cent increase in consultancy fees and public statements about everything's okay when 42 per cent of fire trucks should be off the road, over a million dollars in the last quarter being spent litigating trying to remove safety conditions of firefighters," he said. "They are the people who are responsible for those actions." An industrial dispute of pay and conditions is now before the Fair Work Commission with the UFU and government unable to come to an agreement. Mr Marshall said members were sick of taxpayers' money being used on legal fees to fight firefighters. "Five solicitors, a barrister and a King's Counsel opposed an audit to look at the state of the fleet. Why is fire-service money being used to line lawyers' pockets to stop what are critical improvements in fire response equipment?" he said.
ABC News
11-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Braidwood resident Peter Marshall was forced to bid $19,000 to buy the strip of land on which his driveway sits.
Braidwood resident Peter Marshall was forced to bid $19,000 to buy the strip of land on which his driveway sits
ABC News
10-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
'Astounding' land sales at Queanebeyan Palerang Council auction to recoup unpaid rates
A forest farmer in rural New South Wales has paid $19,000 at auction to buy a tiny slice of his driveway that he always thought he owned, but actually belonged to a man who died 65 years ago. A legal bungle meant the driveway, which measures roughly four-metres wide by a couple of hundred metres long, was not technically part of the farm Peter Marshall bought in the 1990s. He has spent years transforming the property in the state's Southern Tablelands into an award-winning truffle and forest farm, with no idea that the rates on that tiny slice of land had gone unpaid for decades, racking up a debt of tens of thousands of dollars. "I wasn't informed by [the] council." Peter's slice of land was one of 24 properties auctioned off by the Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council (QPRC) in May as part of a crackdown on unpaid rates. Most were obscure rural lots, like Peter's, that had fallen through the cracks over generations, with no building entitlement, water, electricity connection, or proper access. For that reason, the auction was treated as a casual affair by the affected landholders, like Peter, who presumed they would be the only parties interested in bidding. Even the council — who is required by law to sell the properties via public auction before it can sell them privately — wasn't expecting much interest. "Normally the neighbour can come along … and there's no other interest, so that's generally how it has worked in the past," QPRC general manager Rebecca Ryan said. "But this was certainly a different experience," she said. On auction day, 87 bidders registered across all the properties. Peter Marshall was nervous — it was important he bought the driveway up for sale to ensure he'd maintain access to his property. "I couldn't have the conflict of having somebody I don't know owning a tiny fragment in the middle of my place," Mr Marshall said. "They'd have to trespass on me to get access to it, and then I'd have to trespass on them to get access to my tractor shed. But there was frenzied bidding. "It was quite terrifying," Ms Ryan said. "The bids were coming from everywhere and every direction and very fast. "There was a property in Mongarlowe, 400 square metres, we thought it might go for $1,000 or about $500. It went for $18,100." One group of bidders drew particular attention. "There was a group of people there who were bidding on almost everything, including landlocked pieces of land like this one which they could never have access to," Mr Marshall said. "They bid it up on $1,000 increments, and I had to bid back … and it ended up at $19,000." Some of his neighbours paid twice as much as that for similar parcels, while others couldn't afford to bid high enough to secure the blocks at all. "They're creating two really unhappy ratepayers — the people who bought it can't use it for anything, and the people who surround it now can't use their own land." Ms Ryan said similar auctions in other local governments in rural NSW also recorded a surge in interest. But the interest also sparked fears that nefarious actors were moving into the region. "We knew of two people who have been attending a lot of these auctions throughout NSW, particularly rural NSW," Ms Ryan said. "They go to the auctions, they'll purchase lots, and then use that purchase to then either try and sell it at a higher price or the deposit they pay falls through. Ms Ryan said she did not think those two people attended the auction, but she was not aware of whether their associates were there. The ABC has seen reports lodged by residents to NSW Police, who said they were aware of the Queanbeyan-Palerang auction, but were not investigating and would not comment further. Seven buyers who signed contracts for the lots at the auction have since reneged on their offers, forfeiting the deposits. In those cases, the council has negotiated with the adjoining landholder to buy the property through a private sale. But the bungled auction process has raised eyebrows among key stakeholders, including QPRC councillor Mareeta Grundy. "At the auction, the frenzied bidding that went on was so astounding to me that I did write to the general manager expressing my concerns about the auction and the bidding wars that went on," Ms Grundy said. "I've asked for an investigation and a review of proceedings on that day." She said the council needed to establish the identities and motivations of those bidding. "What transpires from here, it must pass the test of accountability and transparency," Ms Grundy said. Peter Marshall backed her calls for an investigation, particularly into the group of people who bid on most of the properties. "I'd really like for [the] council — who know these people because they've just sold property to them — to make enquiries about their intentions. "I can't know if there was criminal activity, but there was destructive and pointless activity … I would really like to see some investigation, possibly anti-corruption." The council said it would review the auction process. "The only way that these properties can be transferred is via public auction," Ms Ryan said. "It would be good to have a clause in there that says that if that little lot is part of a general farming area … we could go through the process of a private treaty." Ms Ryan said the council was considering putting forward a motion at a New South Wales conference of councils later in 2025 proposing the state government review the legislation.
