New firefighters to blaze across regional Queensland

Regional Queenslanders will be the biggest beneficiaries of the second tranche of 25 brand new firefighters who will hit the ground running by the end of this year.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford said that the new firies would be based in Bundaberg (5), Gladstone (5), Cairns (4), the Tablelands (3), Innisfail (2), Mackay (2), Rockhampton (2), Mt Isa (1) and Townsville (1).

“In the lead up to the 2017 election, the Palaszczuk Government recognised that Queensland needed another 100 new firefighters and we are now well on the way to delivering,” Mr Crawford said.

“These 25 will join the 25 full-time firefighters who were last year allocated to Townsville, the Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Maryborough, Bundaberg, Charters Towers and Cairns.

“These men and women are part of this Government’s $29 million commitment to new firefighters and are part of the more than 192,000 jobs that have been created since Annastacia Palaszczuk became Premier.

“Of the remaining 50 new firefighters, we have 25 planned for delivery in 2020 and the final 25 in 2021.”

On the May Day holiday, the Minister also paid homage to the United Firefighters Union Queensland, who not only serves its members but also communities across Queensland.

“Today we mark the hard-fought right to fair working conditions, including the eight-hour day,” he said.

“It is also the day when we celebrate the union movement – those men and women who represent our colleagues on issues ranging from fair pay to discrimination.

“The UFU are the people who, when everyone else is running out of a burning building, they are running into it.

“They are well aware of the danger but have the skills and the knowledge to manage the risk.

“The UFU represents some of the bravest people I know – the men and women on the frontline when disaster strikes.”

/Public Release. View in full here.