The NSW Nationals have criticised the Minns Labor Government for leaving fire crews without adequate resources, with funding cuts leading to critical maintenance issues across the state.
Images of the Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) fleet revealed in a Budget Estimates hearing show one vehicle with brake lights held together by cable ties and another being towed after breaking down on the way to an incident.
Shadow Minister for Emergency Services, Gurmesh Singh, has called on the Minns Labor Government to provide more support for fire crews.
“The community expects that fire and rescue appliances are maintained to the highest level, and cable ties holding things together is simply not good enough,” Mr Singh said.
“We’ve seen a cut to the FRNSW budget of about $9 million, based on what was spent by The Nationals in the last financial year, with ongoing salary negotiations taking place with the Fire Brigade Employees Union (FBEU).
“Firefighters across NSW are incredibly dedicated and work tirelessly to protect residents. They deserve to be provided with the resources they need to do their jobs effectively.
“The Government needs to invest more in FRNSW, to ensure community safety isn’t compromised.”
Nationals MLC Wes Fang quizzed Minister Jihad Dib on the ageing fleet.
“It is clear that Labor’s budget cuts are having a dramatic impact on the service ability of Fire and Rescue NSW,” Mr Fang said.
“The Minister needs to ensure the state’s rescue services have the basics needed to ensure they can do their job safely.”
“We can’t afford to have a situation where Fire and Rescue NSW are handed duct tape and cable ties to keep their trucks together because they are not being funded properly by the Minns Labor Government.”
