Emergency services workers will receive the new facilities, resources and skills they need to protect lives and property as part of a $228 million boost in the Victorian Budget .
The Budget responds to the closure of CFA Fiskville by providing $46.2 million to establish a new firefighting training centre in the Central Highlands, and upgrade the training facility at Huntly.
An additional $80.7 million will be invested over four years to decommission and remediate the site of the former Fiskville training facility and conduct environmental audits and upgrades at six other operational emergency management training centres located across regional Victoria.
We are also investing $37.1 million over four years to continue and expand the Emergency Medical Response (EMR) program so firefighters have the training they need to help save lives during medical emergencies.
$58 million in vital funding will help the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) to respond to more than 2.4 million calls annually – an average of one call every 13 seconds.
The Budget provides $6 million to redevelop surf life-saving clubhouses at Edithvale, Anglesea, Portsea and Cape Paterson.
This funding will give the volunteers who patrol our waterways the modern facilities they need to keep the community safe.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Emergency Services Jane Garrett
“From fire to flood, we’re giving our emergency services the resources they need to keep Victoria safe.”
“We closed the Fiskville training facility because it posed a health risk to our firefighters. We’re decommissioning the site, while establishing a new training centre in the Central Highlands.”
“We are helping out local life-saving clubs that play such an important in their communities.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020