Liberal Eildon incumbent Cindy McLeish said new plumbing regulations were affecting fire equipment maintenance for CFA brigades.
She said that under the Labor Government’s Plumbing Regulations Sunset Review, people who conducted routine maintenance inspections on fire equipment like hydrants and hose reels would be no longer able to carry out inspections if they did not carry a relevant plumbing qualification.
Ms McLeish said fire equipment maintenance (FEM) was a commercial operation conducted by CFA volunteers or by private firms.
“In the case of the CFA, this service represents an important revenue stream for brigades, which is used to upgrade equipment and amenities used by volunteers,” she said.
A Liberal Government would amend the regulation to ensure that CFA volunteers and private firms were able to continue to provide FEM services according to their existing nationally-recognised qualifications.
“The volunteers are there first and foremost to protect our local community,” Ms McLeish said.
“We as a government need to stand along-side them and support them.”
