Councillor questions logic of NSW government insisting that Rural Fire Service assets belong to shires and cities

David Fahey spoke at last week's council meeting after a report was presented on the NSW government's response to complaints over its policy of placing Rural Fire Service assets on municipal balance sheets.

"I think a message has to be sent," he said.

"We're always getting kicked by the state government all the time, it should be their responsibility really, just like the police are.

"We don't look after police cars, well they should be looking after emergency services as well in my opinion."

Federation mayor Pat Bourke in July drove a motion to write to the NSW treasurer, relevant ministers and Albury MP Justin Clancy to object to the state government's stance and declaring it would not undertake RFS stocktakes on behalf of the government or record the assets in its financial statements.

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The council also called for the Rural Fires Act to be amended to make it clear the assets were not the property of councils.

Federation director corporate and community services Jo Shannon reported last week that peak body Local Government NSW had met with ministers who were not shifting on the policy.

Cr Fahey now wants the government to allow councils to have a separate accounting system for the fire service assets to ensure depreciation on trucks is quarantined from the council's general ledger.

"Somewhere in the accounting standards it has to be recognised that it is really not our asset and it ... is numbers on a page," Cr Fahey said.

"If we could report that and have that it's not going to make your bottom line look like you're falling to pieces."

The issue is expected to be a hot topic at next month's NSW local government conference.

Albury Council last month also flagged its concern on the issue, writing letters of complaint to ministers.

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