The association has worked long and hard for many years to reform much of the way the Emergency Services Levy (ESL) is managed and reported.
One specific issue we have long pursued on behalf of our members is to reverse the anomaly that DFES managed volunteer brigades were able to be provided with State-funded Thermal Imaging Cameras (TIC) but Local Government Bush Fire Brigades were not.
We are very pleased to announce that the Local Government Grants Scheme Working Group (voting members are Bushfire Volunteers, SES Volunteer Association, WALGA and DFES) has unanimously supported the motion we moved on 13 June 2020:
That ‘the Eligible Items list in the current LGGS Grant Manual be updated to include the provision of Thermal Imaging Cameras aligned with the policy that applies to DFES managed BGU’s and all Local Governments advised of the update.’
Commissioner Klemm has advised that he supports the recommendations of the Working Group “in principle” but we didn’t confirm any details. We therefore simply don’t know if the 2021/22 Local Government Grants Scheme manual (due to be published any time now) will reflect this change or if we have to do even more work to try to get an addendum published that will enable Bush Fire Brigades to have equal access to these essential tools before July 2022.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
If you have strong feelings about this – positive or negative – zip us an email, send a direct message on socials, or give the team a call to share your views.
