DEMPSEY LIT THE FIRE THREATENING RURAL BRIGADES

Media Release

Contradictory statements by bungling Emergency Services Minister Jack Dempsey, uncovered by the Opposition, show he is the reason 16 volunteer fire brigades on the Gold Coast are being burnt by a funding crisis, says Shadow Emergency Services Minister, Bill Byrne.
“This is a shambles predicted by Labor eight months ago and Jack Dempsey is entirely responsible for the whole sorry mess,” said Mr Byrne.
“For Mr Dempsey to blame Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate for failing to fund these volunteer brigades is nonsense and he knows it."
“For Mr Dempsey to now tell the Gold Coast Council that the Emergency Management Fire and Rescue Levy was never intended to fund the operation of rural fire services is entirely at odds with what he told Parliament numerous times."
“Either he is misleading Mr Tate now, or he misled Parliament when he said on October 30 2013, in a disallowance motion debate on the levy: ‘It will be used to deliver a broad range of emergency services, including urban and rural fire services, the State Emergency Service, disaster management services and other emergency and disaster services across this great state.’

“Mr Dempsey could not have made a clearer statement on the issue when he told a State Estimates Committee in July 2013: ‘Questions have obviously been raised as to whether local rural fire brigades will receive any of the levies raised from the emergency management fire and rescue levy. The emergency management fire and rescue levy does help the provision of all our emergency services and the revenue raised will be spent on delivering a broad range of these, including the urban and rural services.’
“In the light of these comments it is not any wonder to me that the Gold Coast Council decided not to provide funding for its local brigades."
“At the same time as the levy was introduced, Mr Dempsey ripped $24 million out of the State Government’s contribution to the Emergency Services budget."
“The Minister has palpably failed to deal with this issue and it will be a disaster if, because of his mismanagement, rural brigades on the Gold Coast have to scale down their operations or cease operating."
“If there is confusion, Mr Dempsey is responsible for it. If 16 volunteer brigades on the Gold Coast are unable to respond adequately to a fire threat, Mr Dempsey will be responsible."
“I have said before that the Newman Government has shown, by its actions, that it doesn’t care about rural fire services."

“Surely the clock is now ticking on this hapless Minister after yet another stuff up.”