Pollies blunder over CFA trucks

By RUSSELL BENNETT
MONBULK MP James Merlino says a “bureaucratic blunder” by the State Government has forced some CFA brigades to operate “without vital appliances”.
But Emergency Services minister Peter Ryan has moved to allay fears that the mix-up has forced a District 8 spare tanker off the road, hurting local fire fighting resources.
Victoria’s deputy opposition leader, Mr Merlino, late last month released a list of 20 vehicles within the CFA that were un-registered, a situation that he said would force some CFA brigades to operate without the equipment they need.
The District 8 2.4D tanker was one of the vehicles listed.
The truck is used as a spare by brigades including Gembrook, Pakenham Upper and Pakenham when their own appliances are temporarily out of action.
“The fact that more that a dozen fire stations will be down a CFA truck due to a bureaucratic blunder is a major embarrassment for Mr Ryan,” Mr Merlino said.
“While the CFA will rush to re-register the 20 affected vehicles, Mr Ryan was completely unaware of the registration issues.
“This will come as little consolation for communities like Marysville, Moe and Fiskville which will have trucks offline while the paperwork is sorted out.”
But the State Government hit back at Mr Merlino’s claims.
“Mr Merlino is too lazy to check the most basic facts,” said Eastern Victoria MP Edward O’Donohue.
“(Mr) Ryan in fact revealed that two of these vehicles are museum trucks, three are training ground trucks and six have been unregistered since the time of the previous government.
“The reality is this embarrassing blunder from Mr Merlino reveals the former Labor
Government, of which Mr Merlino was a member, presided over the beginning of the
problem.”
According to a CFA spokesman, all vehicles – bar three – have since been re-registered.
Two of those three are in a museum, while the other is no longer in use.
A CFA statement provided earlier this month said “a system error (saw) a lapse in registration of 22 CFA vehicles in its fleet”.
“A review of this system is underway and measures to rectify the process will be implemented as a matter of priority.”