Victoria's fire authorities face $1 billion funding shortfall

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 02:32 · Archive

Victoria's fire authorities need $1.5 billion to replace ageing trucks but have been allocated only about a quarter of that amount.

An audit by the Victorian Auditor-General's Office has found that Victoria's fire authorities need an estimated $1.5 billion from 2024-25 to 2033-34 to replace and upgrade their trucks, but have been allocated only about a quarter of that amount. The audit examined fleets operated by Fire Rescue Victoria, the Country Fire Authority and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

Fire Rescue Victoria and the Country Fire Authority have ageing fleets, with 57 per cent of vehicles at least 15 years old and more than a third at least 20 years old. None of the three authorities is completing all scheduled maintenance. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action has a comparatively new fleet but the audit found significant gaps in its fleet planning approach, including overlooking quality assurance processes. This led to equipment faults, including overweight and cracking trucks, and more than half its fleet was removed from service in 2025. Those trucks have since been returned under ongoing monitoring and repair programmes.

The audit made six recommendations, including that all three authorities improve their asset management arrangements to meet national and global standards. The authorities agreed to all recommendations in full or in principle. The report comes as Victoria prepares for what is expected to be a high-risk bushfire season. In October, Premier Ben Carroll announced that a re-elected Labor government would invest in 150 new fire trucks by 2030.

How it is being reported

• Old trucks, maintenance delays: firies face funding gapFire authorities in a fire-prone state are facing a funding shortfall of more than $1 billion over a decade, an audit has found.Perth Now · 14 Oct, 02:07
• Old trucks, maintenance delays: firies face funding gapFire authorities in a fire-prone state are facing a funding shortfall of more than $1 billion over a decade, an audit has found.The West Australian · 14 Oct, 02:07

In this story: Victoria · Fire Rescue Victoria · Country Fire Authority · Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action · Ben Carroll · Victorian Auditor-General's Office

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