Arabic version: الائتلاف يتعهد بتوسيع تعويضات السرطان لرجال الإطفاء
According to ABC News, the Coalition has promised to expand Victoria’s presumptive rights legislation so firefighters who develop thyroid or lung cancer can access compensation if it wins the state election later this month. Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said the change would bring the state’s scheme closer to arrangements in other states, including Queensland.
Victoria’s presumptive rights laws entitle firefighters to compensation when they are diagnosed with specified cancers after working in an approved position. The legislation is designed to ease the burden of compensation cases for firefighters diagnosed with cancer, but it currently excludes thyroid and lung cancer. Wilson said a Liberal government would expand the program to cover those cancers through WorkSafe for Fire Rescue Victoria, Country Fire Authority and volunteer firefighters.
The proposal follows campaigning by former CFA technical field officer Simon Lund, who sought changes to the law before dying of oesophageal cancer. Lund was unable to access the legislation because he did not hold an approved job title. It remains unclear whether the Coalition’s plan would also broaden the list of approved job titles covered by the scheme.
The Coalition has also pledged $160 million over four years to modernise Fire Rescue Victoria’s ageing fleet, allocating $40 million annually for vehicle replacements. The United Firefighters Union estimates that 138 fire trucks, or 65 per cent of FRV vehicles, are past their service life. The party also promised a review of firefighter handsets and fireground communications, plus a helmet replacement program.
Nar Nar Goon Fire Brigade captain Justin Seddon welcomed the proposed expansion. His brigade has recorded 22 cancer cases among long-serving members, including three deaths, and almost half of its firefighters are not eligible for compensation under state government schemes. Seddon said volunteer firefighters had long sought legislation aligned with other states and that broader protections would support firefighters and their families.
