For more than six years we have heard that our fire and emergency services in Tasmania are not funded appropriately for the critical work that they do.
The current financial model has failed and continues to fail our emergency services.
Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Felix Ellis, said we are seeing more fires, more floods, more storms and we are seeing these more frequently. Devastatingly in Tasmanian history we have lost lives in these disasters.
“What our emergency services need is sustainable funding to save lives. They need new vehicles, modern tools, state-of-the-art stations, facilities for females, uniforms and training,” Minister Ellis said.
“We need to ensure community preparedness – community programs, school education, a nation-leading fuel reduction program, flood modelling and flood levees.
“We cannot keep the status quo and the Rockliff Liberal Government will always back our fire fighters and emergency services 100 per cent.
“To find a solution, our Government has initiated independent reviews and committed to reform. Our proposed model is based on the recommendations from these reviews.
“In fact, the proposal takes levies payable from three to two. It equalises rates across Tasmania. Rather than continuing more than 29 different rates applied to households across Tasmania, we are proposing reducing this to 1 or 2 rates.
“These findings of independent reviews are public – Labor have access to them too and have done for years. But what have we heard from Labor – nothing. Until today they have remained silent on financial reform to provide much-needed resources for our fire and emergency services, despite multiple elections and opportunities to commit to reform in that time. In comparison, our Government has made this commitment.
“We must develop a financial model that is equitable, simple and sustainable. It must be fair on households, fair to our regions, fair on business and importantly, fair on our emergency services.
“Will Labor put their words into action and give firefighters their “full support”?
“We know that finalising the best model takes time, consultation and consideration. We are prepared to take the time to get this right.
“We encourage submissions and look forward to hearing what Labor’s view is.” Minister Ellis said.
Minister Ellis said that Labor needed to stop sitting on the fence and tell Tasmanians what their position is, however, sadly it is the usual position that Labor have no ideas, no solutions, no policy. They have nothing to offer Tasmanians and if they had their way there there would be no charge for our emergency services.
Consultation is open until 5 November 2023.
