Firefighters and their communities have welcomed the establishment of a Parliamentary Inquiry into the 2026 summer fires, passed by the Victorian Legislative Council.
The inquiry follows a growing groundswell of community concern. A joint petition calling for a Select Committee on fire services funding and resources received more than 12,500 signatures in under 3 weeks.
The inquiry, to be conducted by the Environment and Planning Standing Committee, will examine preparation and planning ahead of the fire season, the causes and circumstances of the fires, emergency response capability, and the resourcing and resilience of Victoria’s infrastructure and services.
Importantly, the inquiry’s terms of reference include funding for equipment and appliances for Fire Rescue Victoria, the CFA and Forest Fire Management Victoria, as well as recruitment and retention of CFA volunteers.
The inquiry provides a long-overdue opportunity for frontline personnel and communities to put evidence on the public record about fleet condition, equipment shortages, safety risks and funding shortfalls that continue to place lives at risk.
Those who signed the petition will now have the opportunity to have their concerns formally heard by a non-partisan Parliamentary committee.
The UFU, CFAVg and AVA look forward to contributing constructively to the inquiry and representing the experiences of firefighters and communities across Victoria.
Andrew Weidemann AM from the Across Victoria Alliance said the inquiry is critical.
“The strong public support shown through the petition demonstrates just how deeply Victorians care about managing fuel loads and the safety and preparedness of their fire services.”
United Firefighters Union Secretary Peter Marshall said firefighters have been raising serious concerns for years.
“After years of gaslighting by the Allan Government, Firefighters will now have a forum, that cannot be controlled by the Allan Government before the Final Report is published mid-year. Firefighters have been campaigning for safe equipment and proper allocation of funding that comes from Victorian taxes. These issues, and others, can now be examined independently without the Allan Government controlling the narrative and outcome.”
“This inquiry gives us a proper forum to put the serious issue of ageing trucks, unreliable equipment and inadequate resourcing on the record.”
John Houston President of CFA Volunteers Group Inc said volunteers want to serve their communities safely and effectively.
