Brigade chief criticises grant cuts

The Association of Volunteer Bushfire Brigades WA has slammed Western Power’s decision to axe an $80,000 annual firefighting funding scheme.

Regional volunteer bushfire brigades have been able to apply for up to $5000 in grants each year from the entity’s Volunteer Bushfire Brigades Grants program since it was established in 2007.

Western Power announced it would cut the initiative last week.

Association president Dave Gossage questioned the fund’s axing and said there needed to be more support for volunteer firefighting brigades.

“Our role, as it always has been, is to look after the volunteers on the ground and the people putting their lives at risk,” he said.

“Volunteer bushfire brigades provide considerable emergency response services, but the funding doesn’t reflect that.”

The association has contacted Premier Colin Barnett, Energy Minister Mike Nahan and Emergency Services Minister Joseph Francis about the scheme’s axing.

Cookernup Volunteer Bushfire Brigade captain Bryan Crook also voiced concern and said cutting the grant was disappointing.

“It is going to affect all brigades. It certainty was a good thing while it was available,” he said.

“It is a bit of a kick in the teeth that it has ended, funding is not easy to come by.”

A Western Power spokesman said although the funding program had been axed, the entity would continue to support regional volunteer firefighting brigades.

He said the axing put a focus on the whole-of-Government ‘Are You Bushfire Ready?’ initiative. This would remove grant limitations and give volunteer firefighting brigades access to more benefits.

“We are not discontinuing our support for volunteer bushfire brigades, just our small stand-alone Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade Grants program,” he said.

“Western Power retains a larger community-based grants scheme of a minimum of $250,000 which is targeted at helping communities in which we work.

“Western Power will continue to work with the WA Volunteer Bushfire Brigade when called upon during emergencies to keep firefighters and the community safe during recovery efforts.”

Mr Gossage said offering grants only through the Are You Bushfire Ready? program would make it more difficult for volunteer firefighting brigades to attain funds.

“The ‘Are You Bushfire Ready?’ campaign is a State Government campaign, it is not a community on the ground reward for the work the volunteer firefighters do,” he said.