The safety of Queensland’s brave Rural Fire Service volunteers has been disgracefully ignored by the Palaszczuk Labor Government, on the eve of a bushfire season forecasted to be extreme.
In stark contrast to other States, the Queensland Government has failed to install radiant heat shield curtains in vehicles delivered to Rural Fire Service volunteers in the 2022-23 financial year.
Shadow Minister for Fire and Emergency Services, Dale Last said the failure was putting the lives of our volunteers at risk.
“Queenslanders rely on the brave volunteers of the Rural Fire Service but this Government’s carelessness and incompetence is putting them at needless risk,” Mr Last said.
“What we now know is that those brave volunteers cannot rely on Labor to provide them with lifesaving equipment.
“Radiant heat shield curtains save lives and reduce injuries to volunteers in the event they are caught in a bushfire.
"The South Australian government values their volunteers and have funded the equipment for 390 vehicles.
“In stark contrast, during the last financial year not one vehicle delivered to Queensland’s Rural Fire Service was fitted with radiant heat shield curtains.
"We have seen huge delays in the delivery of these vehicles and, even with the extra time, Minister Ryan has failed these brave volunteers.
Mr Last said the forecast of a worse than normal bushfire season made the Minister’s inaction even more alarming.
“The first priority of a government should be protecting Queenslanders including the people who put themselves in harm’s way to protect others,” he said.
“This Government is in a constant state of chaos and crisis and is more concerned about protecting their own political skin than protecting the lives of volunteer firies.
“For Minister Ryan to express concern about increased danger but fail to address the dangers that our volunteers face is simply hypocritical.
“Under Minister Ryan’s watch, Queensland has seen a reduction in the number of Rural Fire Service volunteers keeping Queenslanders safe.
“Is it any wonder volunteers are walking away when this Minister, as proven by his inaction, fails to make the safety of those volunteers a priority.”
