[Greens-Media] Greens: Volunteer Firefighters Must Be Covered by Scheme

[Franks, Office]

Greens' Industrial Relations Spokesperson Tammy Franks MLC has insisted compensation arrangements for firefighters suffering from a range of work-related cancers must include volunteer firefighters such as Country Fire Service (CFS) personnel.
"The proposed changes to give firefighters access to WorkCover payments for cancers modelled on Greens MP Adam Bandt's successful Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Fair Protection for Firefighters) Bill 2011, is welcomed, but we cannot and must not discriminate against volunteer firefighters" Ms Franks explained.
"The Greens have long campaigned for change in the laws around compensation for firefighters given the well-established difficulties in being able to comply with the provisions of current legislation that require any cancer to be tracked to one specific incident to be eligible for compensation under WorkCover.
"The Premier has rightly acknowledged that MFS firefighters are often exposed to dangerous chemicals and hazardous materials in the course of their employment and that scientific studies have demonstrated the links between this exposure and the development of certain cancers.
"To then deny volunteer firefighters who are doing the same job (often without the benefit of the same protective equipment such as respirators) as their full time colleagues, the benefits of compensation, support and rehabilitation from WorkCover is a severe disappointment and a betrayal of CFS volunteers and the spirit with which they serve.
"The community knows and appreciates the dangerous and difficult job that volunteer firefighters perform - putting their lives on the line to protect ours, our property and the bush we love.  For the governments to fail to recognise and appreciate this is nothing short of a slap in the face for CFS personnel.
"The Greens will strongly lobby all members to ensure that these important changes in workplace laws include volunteer firefighters who deserve protection as much as their full time colleagues," Ms Franks concluded.

For further comment contact Jamnes Danenberg on 0457 549 938