Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan has released a report stating the Country Fire Authority has increased funding by $21.8m over the last financial year. What’s the scam?
The scam is that although direct government funding did increase last year, it fell in the previous three years and is still significantly lower in real (inflation-adjusted) terms than in FY2020-21.
“The annual report spells it out in black and white: that the CFA today has more funding, more resources and is stronger because of the year-on-year increase in funding that has been delivered by our government,” Premier Jacinta Allan said. But the report confirmed funding fell by $12.1m over the preceding four years.
The report, which should have been released months ago, also shows a $50m deficit for last year.
With Victorian bushfires torching an area almost twice that of the ACT earlier this month, the long-delayed report may fuel widespread criticism of Allan’s government over fire readiness as a state election (scheduled for November) approaches.
An Adelaide-based graduate in Media Studies, with a Masters in Social Policy, I was an editor who covered current affairs, local government and sports for various publications before deciding on a change-of-vocation in 2002.