Communities such as Benalla and Cobram in north-east Victoria will be at greater risk if a decision is endorsed to redirect a pumper platform fire truck that was ordered for Shepparton to metropolitan Melbourne, a local MP says.
There is no pumper platform located in the north-east of the state and the pumper platform destined for Shepparton was also intended to provide support for north-east Victoria.
Pumper platform appliances perform general firefighting duties, and also have a long extendable arm with a platform that can be raised to enable firefighting and rescues at height.
Other aerial appliances located in the north-east do not have the rescue capability of a pumper platform.
Shepparton’s closest support station with an aerial platform fire truck is Bendigo, which is over 90 minutes away.
If Bendigo’s ladder platform truck, which is the oldest in the Division B fleet, is out of operation, the next closest ladder platform fire truck is in Footscray, over two hours away from Shepparton.
By comparison, Sunshine firefighters are supported by five ladder platform or teleboom fire trucks from neighbouring stations that are less than 45 minutes away, and there are seven aerial platform trucks within one hour and eight minutes.
Diverting the pumper platform to Sunshine means that Shepparton firefighters will be unable to use the appliance to provide support to surrounding towns including Benalla, Wangaratta and Wodonga.
Currently the ladder platform from Bendigo would take over three hours to arrive in Wodonga, two and half hours to Wangaratta, and over two hours to Benalla.
State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said the move to deny Shepparton the new pumper platform would leave the region at a significant disadvantage.
“Diverting the new fire truck away from Shepparton to Sunshine, even after a risk analysis identified Shepparton and Warrnambool as the highest priority for new pumper platforms, sets a dangerous precedent,” Ms Lovell said.
“At the time of fire services reform, the Liberal Party raised concerns that the Labor government’s policy to create Fire Rescue Victoria would see regional communities disadvantaged as more and more resources were poured into metropolitan Melbourne.”
Ms Lovell said it was crucial that Victoria got the maximum geographical coverage from its firefighting trucks.
Locating the pumper platform at Shepparton would allow the station to provide much more rapid aerial firefighting and rescue support, getting to Benalla in 43 minutes, Wangaratta in one hour and five minutes, or Wodonga in one hour and 51 minutes.