31/08/2026
WORKSAFE INVESTIGATES CFA TANKER SAFETY CONCERNS . WHY IS CFAVG INVOLVED
The CFA Volunteers Group Inc. is confirming that WorkSafe Victoria is conducting an ongoing investigation into safety concerns raised by CFA volunteers about ageing single-cab CFA tankers.
We want to explain clearly why we initiated this process, what we expect from it, and what we are not asking WorkSafe to do.
CFAVG raised these concerns because volunteers are required to operate these vehicles in some of the most dangerous conditions imaginable, fires, smoke, heat, hazardous environments and emergency situations where vehicle reliability and firefighter safety are critical.
These concerns have been raised by volunteers over a period of time.
We believed they deserved to be independently examined by the appropriate safety regulator.
That is why we approached WorkSafe.
Importantly, there have been no WorkSafe findings at this stage, and CFAVG will not prejudge the outcome.
Multiple brigade, firefighters and CFA management are cooperating with the investigation. Appliances and documentation have been made available.
We welcome that cooperation.
WorkSafe needs to be allowed to do its job independently and properly.
And if WorkSafe ultimately finds there is no significant safety issue, that is an important outcome too.
Let's also address some of the speculation.
There has been commentary suggesting CFAVG is somehow seeking to have 600 or 700 CFA tankers taken off the road.
That is simply not what we are asking for.
CFAVG has not declared hundreds of tankers unsafe, and we have not asked WorkSafe to remove hundreds of vehicles from service.
We have asked an independent regulator to examine legitimate safety concerns raised by volunteers.
What WorkSafe ultimately determines, and what action may be required, is a matter for WorkSafe and CFA.
We also recognise that some brigades are very happy with their particular older tanker.
It may suit their terrain, their station, their crews and the work they do and we respect that.
But a brigade being familiar and comfortable with an appliance does not, by itself, answer the question of whether that vehicle remains safe and fit for purpose from an occupational health and safety perspective.
That is exactly why an independent assessment is important.
And this isn't simply about the age of a truck
It is about the strategic, safety, operational and financial risks created by an ageing fleet and a growing replacement backlog.
Whatever WorkSafe ultimately finds, that underlying problem does not disappear.
Victoria has a substantial number of ageing CFA appliances, while new vehicles continue to be required to replace those reaching the end of their service life.
If replacement activity remains around 50 appliances a year, while a similar number continue to age into replacement age, the current program may largely be slowing the growth of the backlog rather than eliminating it.
Our analysis indicates that if the objective is to substantially reduce or eliminate the existing backlog within a decade, replacement rates would need to be closer to 120 appliances a year.
And this is where the problem becomes even more serious.
We are facing an emerging second wave of replacements.
Many of the appliances delivered during the major 2014–16 replacement program are now 10 years or more old. Within the coming decade, many of those vehicles will themselves reach or exceed replacement age.
If replacement rates don't increase, today's backlog simply becomes tomorrow's backlog.
The longer action is delayed, the larger and more expensive the problem becomes.
And local manufacturers are telling us they are frustrated by what they see as a lack of sufficient long-term commitment and certainty to properly address the fleet problem.
So, what does CFAVG want?
We want WorkSafe to be allowed to complete its investigation independently.
We want any safety risks identified through that process to be properly addressed.
And we want the Victorian Government to develop a long-term CFA fleet renewal strategy.
That strategy should clearly identify:
how many appliances require replacement;
which are the oldest and highest priority;
how many will be replaced each year
how replacements will be prioritised;
what funding is actually available; and
when brigades can realistically expect new appliances to arrive.
Because funding announcements don't put trucks in CFA stations.
Volunteers don't fight fires with funding announcements.
They fight fires with trucks.
And we want to be very clear about one other thing.
Volunteer safety isn't political.
CFAVG's role is to advocate for volunteers
When volunteers raise concerns about their health and safety, we believe they should be able to take those concerns to the appropriate independent authority.
We are not attacking CFA.
We are not saying every old tanker is unsafe.
We are not asking WorkSafe to remove hundreds of appliances.
And we are not prejudging the investigation.
We are asking the questions that need to be asked.
Because our objective is not to see brigades lose trucks.
We want brigades to get better trucks.
And ultimately, if an appliance is found to present an unacceptable risk, the answer cannot simply be to leave volunteers exposed because a replacement isn't available.
That is a fleet-planning problem Government must address.
CFA volunteers are prepared to stand up for Victoria.
They deserve equipment that is safe, fit for purpose and capable of doing the job.
So, our message is straightforward:
✓ WorkSafe is investigating.
✓ CFA, brigades and volunteers are cooperating.
✓ CFAVG will respect the outcome.
But regardless of that outcome, the ageing fleet and replacement backlog still have to be addressed.
The longer Government waits, the bigger the problem becomes.
Brigades need action, not promises.
They need trucks, not crafted media announcements.
And they need to know that when they answer the call, the equipment they rely on will be there to protect them while they protect the community.
The Committee
CFA Volunteers Group
