Arabic version: تدقيق يكشف فجوة تمويلية في شاحنات الإطفاء بولاية فيكتوريا

According to ABC News, Victoria’s auditor-general has identified a funding shortfall of more than $1 billion for maintaining and replacing the state’s aging firefighting fleet. Auditor-General Andrew Greaves found that $1.5 billion was needed from 2024-25 to 2033-34 for the multi-agency fleet, while only $390.4 million had been allocated through grants and budgets.

The audit reviewed more than 3,000 fire trucks and found that almost 60 per cent of Country Fire Authority and Fire Rescue Victoria vehicles were older than 15 years. Fire Rescue Victoria internal documents recommend replacing trucks at that age. Premier Ben Carroll said the findings showed there was more work to do, while a recent Labor election promise for 150 new fire trucks by 2030 was not included in the audit.

The report also identified widespread cracking in trucks managed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. It said the issue had put firefighters at “direct risk”. DEECA suspended more than 54 per cent of its fleet, nearly 350 trucks, before the 2025-26 summer, and the audit found the agency continued operating vehicles with known cracks and trucks above safe weight limits.

Funding requests from FRV and CFA were reduced after instructions to limit proposals in line with the government’s fiscal strategy. FRV initially sought almost $160 million in fleet capital for 2024-25, but its final proposal was $14 million. Former treasurer Jaclyn Symes said agencies were asked to bid for what they needed rather than everything they wanted. Opposition figures said they were working on plans to modernise the fleet, though Emergency Services Shadow Minister Danny O’Brien did not commit to the full $1.5 billion identified by the auditor.