A Greens motion calling on the Malinauskas government to urgently ensure a proper audit of CFS facilities across our state has this week passed the Upper House with Liberal and Cross Bench support.
The need for an audit has been called for by the CFS Volunteers Association and championed by the Greens as an El Nino summer approaches.
The audit would identify where facilities are inadequate to provide CFS volunteers with safety and dignity. Through Greens’ questioning of the Minister, it has now been revealed in parliament that out of the 425 CFS stations across South Australia, 345 do not have change rooms and approximately 90 stations are without even toilet facilities.
Quotes attributable to Tammy Franks, Greens MLC:
“CFS Volunteers deserve better. We are not even talking about gold standard facilities, we are just talking about ensuring a tap, a toilet a place to safely change without have to strip off in front of your colleagues and the building not having risks to your health like asbestos, mould or dodgy wiring.”
“Not only has the Malinauskas Government refused to commit new money to ensuring this, but they are also refusing an audit to identify the need. A basic audit should not be too hard for this Government to do.”
“We need to assess the need to address the need. Ignoring this need will see more volunteers turn away from service.”
“The Upper House disagreed with the Government’s priorities and The Greens will continue pushing for reform. CFS volunteers risk their lives to protect our community and they deserve better support of this state government, and to be provided with equipment and stations of a basic standard, otherwise we will likely see the continued loss of CFS volunteers.”