DistantNews
Support us
🇦🇺 Australia /Disasters & Emergencies

Fears policy shift ups risk for farmers using own gear to fight fires

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Hundreds of volunteer firefighters have left Queensland's Rural Fire Service in the past decade.
  • New insurance policy changes may cover fewer privately-owned vehicles used for firefighting, causing concern among volunteers.
  • The Rural Fire Brigade Association of Queensland fears the changes have reduced coverage for equipment like utes and graders, potentially deterring volunteers.

Frank Clayton, a volunteer firefighter near Mackay, has used his own vehicle to combat bushfires for two decades. He emphasizes the critical first 20 to 30 minutes of a fire, when private vehicles are often the first on the scene. However, recent confusion over insurance policy changes has made him reconsider.

If you can get to the fire in first 20 minutes or half hour, then you have a chance of controlling it.

— Frank ClaytonDescribing the critical early response time for bushfires.

Clayton's brigade is a Primary Producer Brigade, meaning they operate without a state-supplied truck and rely on their own equipment, such as graders and "slip-on" water tanks for utes. These vehicles are crucial for quickly responding to fires, especially in the initial stages. He noted that during extended firefighting efforts, volunteers often share private equipment, raising concerns about whether his employees can use their vehicles if they are not registered to them or under 2 tonnes.

When they've got away, we've spent three or four days fighting fires.

— Frank ClaytonHighlighting the extended efforts required when fires are not controlled early.

The Rural Fire Brigade Association of Queensland (RFBAQ) expresses concern that the new insurance policy, effective since April, has narrowed the scope of coverage for privately-owned vehicles. RFBAQ general manager Justin Choveaux stated that the previous policies covered vehicles and heavy machinery, but the new one is based on vehicle weight, registration, and driver. While most utes and four-wheel drives under 2 tonnes are insured if logged and approved, vehicles over 2 tonnes, like graders, are excluded.

When a fire normally starts, the privately-owned vehicles are the first ones there.

— Frank ClaytonExplaining the reliance on private vehicles for initial fire response.

Choveaux argues this breaks a fundamental contract where volunteers offer their bodies and equipment to protect the state, in return for support through workers' compensation, legislative backing, and insurance. The Queensland Fire Department, however, maintains that the changes have improved options for its 27,000 volunteers, stating the new policy offers better choices. Despite these assurances, Clayton fears the insurance changes will be another reason for people to stop volunteering.

You haven't got time to think about insurance.

— Frank ClaytonEmphasizing the urgency of fire response over administrative concerns.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog