MEMBER for Benambra Bill Tilley has scored rare praise from Labor Premier Daniel Andrews while an instance of ongoing tension between paid and volunteer firefighters was put in the spotlight.
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In the first sittings of the Victorian parliament since the summer bushfires, Mr Tilley used question time to raise the issue of a career firefighter pulling rank over CFA volunteers on the use of a vehicle he wanted to use the following day.
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"If I can just for one moment indicate that everybody has seen the way in which the member for Benambra has conducted himself in terms of his duty as a member of this place, but also in his capacity as a CFA volunteer," he said.
"I think that his outstanding performance speaks for itself and I just wanted to get that on record."
Mr Tilley said the strike team he was part of that worked in the Tintaldra and Walwa areas consisted of a command vehicle, five tankers and 20-plus crew.
"A United Firefighters Union-aligned career firefighter called back the CFA forward command vehicle from active firefighting duties to satisfy his own vehicle preference for the following day," he said.
"It left the strike team leader without a vehicle or radio.
"What will the Premier do to ensure the command of firefighting volunteers is not over-ruled by a career firefighter who is not actually in charge of the strike team?"
Mr Andrews said he was prepared to raise the issue highlighted by Mr Tilley with CFA chief officer Steve Warrington.
"A fire event of this scale, this ferocity, so early on in the fire season, so many hectares burnt, but at the same time, in my judgment and the judgment of many, such a well integrated approach, there will be things to learn, things to improve," Mr Andrews said.
"It is why the inspector general of emergency management will have all the powers, resources and time needed to conduct a proper review."
A spokesman for Mr Tilley said the matter was being dealt with satisfactorily and the Andrews Government was also open to providing further funding for toilets, playground and landscaping at Corryong Secondary College where firefighters were based.
