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Old trucks, maintenance delays: firies face funding gap

On Wednesday, the Victorian Auditor-General's Office released a report warning that state firefighting agencies require $1.5 billion by 2034 for fleet upgrades, with only about one-quarter of this investment secured.
Ageing fleets and maintenance failures threaten emergency response capabilities, with nearly 60 per cent of fire trucks exceeding 15 years in service and structural cracking forcing the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action to suspend over 54 per cent of its fleet.
Fire Rescue Victoria and the Country Fire Authority faced scaled-back budget allocations; FRV requested almost $160 million in 2024-25 but received only $14.1 million, limiting replacement of vehicles past their recommended 15-year shelf life.
Premier Ben Carroll said the report "clearly shows we have more work to do," while United Firefighter Union boss Peter Marshall criticized the government's budget management as inadequate.
Labor recently committed $167 million for 150 new trucks by 2030, though Emergency Services Shadow Minister Danny O'Brien acknowledged the opposition has not matched the $1.5 billion investment target.

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Cracking firetrucks, $1b funding shortfall identified in Victorian audit

Victoria's auditor has found $1.5 billion dollars is needed to provide critical upgrades to the state's fleet of aging fire trucks, with more than 1,600 CFA trucks needing replacement by 2034.

11 days ago·Ultimo, Australia

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Sydney Morning Herald

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30-year-old fleets and cracking trucks: Why Victoria’s fire services are chasing billions

Victoria’s auditor-general says the state’s firefighting fleet is on track to receive a quarter of the $1.5 billion it needs to keep up with maintenance and upgrades.

11 days ago·North Sydney, Australia

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