Community
5 February, 2026
Why CFA volunteers are calling for a parliamentary inquiry
COUNTRY Fire Authority volunteers have protected Victorian communities for generations. They do so without pay, often at personal cost, because they believe in service and public safety.
But today, many volunteers are asking a serious question: is the Country Fire Authority (CFA) being governed and funded in a way that genuinely supports the people who deliver frontline emergency response?
The CFA Volunteers Group committee believes it is not and that is why we are calling for an independent parliamentary inquiry into the CFA.
This is not a political campaign. It is a call for government accountability in a system that relies heavily on volunteers to protect communities across Victoria.
Across the state, volunteers are raising consistent concerns: ageing fleet and stations, growing administrative burden, declining morale and a lack of genuine influence over decisions that directly affect volunteer safety and operational capability.
These are not isolated complaints. They are systemic issues raised repeatedly across districts and regions.
These problems persist despite years of reform, reviews and structural change. That raises an unavoidable question: are current governance and oversight arrangements delivering what volunteers and communities need?
Governments often state that volunteers are consulted on decisions affecting the CFA.
Many volunteers, however, report that consultation frequently occurs after key decisions are already made, or that feedback is acknowledged but not acted upon.
Consultation without influence does not build trust. It undermines it.
A parliamentary inquiry must examine whether consultation processes genuinely shape outcomes, or whether they have become procedural exercises that shield decision-makers from scrutiny.
Volunteer firefighters now operate in more complex and dangerous environments than ever before. Longer fire seasons, climate-driven risk and growing urban–rural interfaces have increased operational pressure.
Yet many volunteers still respond from stations that are decades old and no longer fit for purpose. Some continue to use appliances beyond their intended service life.
These are not choices made by volunteers. They are the result of government funding, planning and oversight decisions.
If the state relies on volunteers to deliver emergency responses, it has a responsibility to ensure they are trained, equipped and supported safely.
Recent CFA annual reporting highlights headline figures – such as the delivery of emergency response vehicles – without clearly identifying what those vehicles are, where they have been delivered or whether they replace ageing frontline assets.
Volunteers and communities deserve clarity. Without transparent reporting, Parliament and the public cannot properly assess whether investment is reaching the frontline or reducing risk.
An inquiry would allow these claims to be tested against evidence.
Volunteer sustainability is a public safety issue. Recruitment and retention are often treated as internal workforce matters. In reality, they are public safety issues.
When volunteers leave because they feel unsafe, undervalued or unheard, communities lose experience, response capability declines and remaining volunteers carry greater workloads. Fatigue and burnout increase.
If government policy settings contribute to volunteer attrition, then government must be accountable for the consequences.
Internal reviews and agency-led processes have failed to resolve these issues.
Volunteers need confidence that concerns can be raised openly, without fear, and examined independently.
Only a parliamentary inquiry, independent of the CFA and government departments, can provide that confidence.
Such an inquiry should examine governance, funding, transparency, asset management and the real-world impacts of policy decisions on volunteer safety and retention.
Calling for an inquiry is not about blame. It is about responsibility.
CFA volunteers want to continue protecting their communities safely and sustainably.
An independent parliamentary inquiry is the most effective way to ensure government is accountable for the system it oversees – and for the people who make it work.
Leigh Harry
Secretary, CFA Volunteers Group Inc