News

Rural firefighters 'had a gutful'

Nearly 950 volunteer rural firefighters have resigned from local brigades in the past two years prompting the State Opposition to issue a please explain to the Bligh Government.LNP Shadow Emergency Services Minister Ted Malone said while Minister Neil Roberts was up to his ‘usual tricks’ of trying to spin the truth, his government’s own figures proved 946 volunteers had ‘walked’ in the past two years. 

Mr Malone said he asked the Minister a straightforward question on notice in Parliament and the figures proved the service continued to lose big numbers of volunteers - particularly in the North Coast, South West and Northern Regions. 

“Not that many years ago our rural fire brigades had nearly 45,000 volunteers …but thousands have walked because they’ve had a gutful of the bully-boy management style of the long-term Labor government,” Mr Malone said. 

“Mr Roberts can try and spin the truth and claim volunteers are on the rise, but what he’s done is scare thousands off with his overly bureaucratic and bullying-boy management.” 

Mr Malone said any management consultant would take one look at the North Coast region and say there had to be big problems there with 552 volunteers departing in the past two years and also in the South West (260) and Northern Region (226). 

“It’s past time Minister Roberts and his cronies realised they’ve upset many dedicated volunteers who’ve got better things to do with their time than put up with bureaucratic nonsense and abuse.” 

Rural Fire Brigade Volunteers – by Region

Region                        30/06/2008                  30/06/2010      Increase/decrease       
Brisbane                      1354                            1329                 -25    
Central                        7771                            7958                +187   
Far Northern              4455                             4351                -104   
North Coast                6682                            6130                 -552   
Northern                     3759                            3535                 -224   
South East                   3274                            3306                 +32    
South West                 7706                             7446                 -260   
Total                           35,001                         34,055               -946 (loss)