It was with much anticipation that the RFSA State Board received, read and deliberated over the final report of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.

One of the 67 recommendations was that the Victorian Government significantly boost its level of fuel reduction from the current annual level of 130,000 hectares.

The Victorian Premier John Brumby gave in principle support to the recommendation, which sets a minimum yearly target of five per cent of public land (up from 1.7 per cent), a move that prompted the NSW Opposition to call on the Government to do the same.

It is the RFSA’s belief, however, that the proposed Victorian model is unworkable in NSW.

In NSW, more than 50 per cent of land is privately held, sometimes in patchwork patterns with public land. Using percentage targets in these circumstances could lead to mass burning of non-priority areas, which does little to reduce genuine risk. In NSW, we rightly measure the success of hazard reduction burning by the risk that is reduced, not in raw hectare or percentage targets. In NSW, we need to increase the resources to focus on reducing real risks.

To match hazard reduction improvements recommended for Victoria, the RFSA has publicly called for a $20 million increase in funding for NSW’s hazard reduction program, which is currently funded at $6.5 million. Funding to boost the NSW program should be delivered as quickly as possible and certainly within the next term of the Government.

NSW Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan said the Government would carefully review the recommendations of the Victorian Government and would respond after receiving additional advice from the NSW RFS.

With reference to publication of Constitutional changes approved by the Board at the June AGM, this will soon be made available on the RFSA website.

You will note the establishment of additional Member classifications, including those of Retired Member, Honorary Member, and Associate Member.

Retired Members are volunteers or RFS staff who are retired from active service, but still maintain good standing with the Association and Service. A Retired Member retains full voting rights and eligibility to stand for office.

Honorary Members are to be nominated and endorsed by State Council, with Associate Members similarly endorsed by State Council. Neither Honorary nor Associate Members will have voting rights nor be eligible to stand for office.

Other changes include the responsibility for maintaining a register of Members of the RFSA in the Branch transferred from the Secretary of each Branch to the State Secretary of the RFSA; and, in relation to the filling of office bearer vacancies at State Council or Board level, the elected person will be required to complete the term of their predecessor.

Note also that the RFSA State Executive is now referred to as the State Board, with Members of the Board now called Directors.

Brian McKinlay
President

I am pleased to announce that we are working towards implementing our new, comprehensive and very exciting Member Benefits program for all RFSA members. More details will be provided in the coming weeks and months as we move towards the launch of the program in October.

Equally exciting news is that we will be designing and developing a new website over the coming months. This will achieve a number of member, technology and marketing objectives including better support to our 16 Divisions, improvement on existing performance/usability concerns, enhanced communications capabilities within the RFSA, provision of significant operational efficiency, and overall, building and enhancing our organisation and the support we provide to members in their protection of the community.

I expect that the new website will be launched in March 2011 following the necessary strategy development, design, build and marketing implementation process. In the meantime, we will make minor improvements to the current website to ensure useable, accessible and up-to-date content for members, as far as is possible.

The RFSA is currently formulating a detailed State Election Policy document which will be formally handed to the Government, Opposition and media later this year. Amongst the 40 or so disparate policy areas it will cover are issues such as:

• continuing independence of the RFS
• a review of National Employment Standards to ensure that paid leave is extended to volunteer emergency service workers
• continued funding increases to meet the demands of the organisation in protecting the community
• independently audited performance management systems for hazard reduction across Government land management agencies
• consistency in fire trail construction and maintenance, signage and independent reporting against targets
• increased penalties for illegal burn offs and damage to emergency service equipment
• full and proper consultation with stakeholders before any NSWFB and RFS boundary changes are determined
• a supplementary insurance scheme to ensure that families of volunteers are appropriately covered in the event of a volunteer’s incapacitation or death (supplementing the recently signed MoU between the RFS and the RFSA)
• ongoing commitment from the NSW Government that no frontline operational tanker be older than 15 years; and to upgrade brigade stations and control centres.

Peter Olah
Executive Director

A gentle hand placed on my shoulder and a softly spoken thank you was what made the Bunnaloo RFSA Volunteer Family Fun Day so worthwhile.

Bunnaloo is only a small community, where life on the land can be very hard. From here, the local brigades responded quickly to the Victorian fires, being just across the border.  Bendigo, for example, is just over an hour’s travelling distance from Bunnaloo and was one of the staging places on “Black Saturday”.

We welcomed more than 200 people to the Bunnaloo sports ground, the ideal venue (great kitchen, hall and verandah area) for this ‘Christmas-in-July’ themed RFSA event.

It was also the perfect opportunity for catching up with friends and to smile a little. As the day progressed, those quiet smiles turned to laughter.

Much talking was had over many cups of tea and coffee as the children played on the giraffe jumping castle, bungee challenge and boxing ring, had their faces painted or got involved in the general activities. Lunch was served in the “dining room” (outdoor marquee) and afterwards, everyone enjoyed the many flavours of icecream offered.

Then along came Santa, who arrived on the big red fire truck bearing lolly bags for the kids. The bush band too was brilliant, playing their music very pleasantly in the background.

The RFS CISS team was also present at the Volunteer Family Fun Day, moving quietly among the members, chatting and providing support.

We were blessed by the weather and the team who worked so hard to bring this day together. I am sure they all left with a wonderful feeling of achievement, which was quietly acknowledged by everyone who attended. These Volunteer Family Days are very special and I firmly believe them to be amongst the better things that the RFSA provides.

The next RFSA Volunteer Family Fun Day will be held at Bundarra in northern NSW, on Sunday 17 October. For more information, contact Jan Ljubojevic – telephone: 4722 2122 or email jan.ljubojevic@rfsa.org.au.

Marcia LeBusque
Volunteer, Clarence Valley and Member, RFSA State Board

“In the informal Volunteer Family Fun Day environment, the opportunity is provided, through conversations, for people to seek assistance from the RFS Counselling and Support Unit.”

Paul Scott
Manager Counselling and Support Unit, NSW Rural Fire Service

He’s the tired looking bloke in the stained overalls,
Fire scorched, foot sore with fatigue
But his spirit is strong as he battles along
With the knapsack for league upon league
He gets no reward for the long hellish hours
No penalty rates come his way,
But the pride that he has in the “burning tree badge”
And his mates is worth more than his pay.
Should you meet him – untidy, begrimed and fatigued,
Don’t indulge in unwarranted mirth,
For the brave volunteer deserves more than your sneer
He is truly, the salt of the earth.

Submitted by Jim Dwyer (ex-Orchard Hills Volunteer Bushfire Brigade), inspired by The Infanteer, written by a WWII Digger, name unknown, published in Jungle Warfare 1943.

Conference update
Thank you to everyone who completed the RFSA 2010 post-conference evaluation form. Your feedback allows us to focus on providing an even more relevant and successful conference in 2011. Evaluation of several bids received from some genuinely enthusiastic conference venues across NSW continues. The successful venue will be announced in our September newsletter.

Preparing kids for disasters and emergencies
Emergency Management Australia (EMA) has launched a new range of education materials to help students better understand and prepare for natural disasters and emergencies. The materials focus on personal stories and experiences and are available from the EMA website at www.ema.gov.au/schools or write to schools@ema.gov.au or EMA, Mt Macedon Road, Mount Macedon Victoria 3441.

The winner of RFSA Raffle Number 43, drawn on Friday 30 July, was ticket number 2430214871 (NFP, Alfords Point, NSW).

As the major fund raiser for the RFSA, the raffles are made possible through the generous support of half a million people across NSW, raising vital funds to support the work of NSW volunteer rural firefighters.

Donations generated by the raffles allow the RFSA to provide tangible benefits such as new fire fighting support equipment, improved facilities, development programs and training exercises for members of the Service across the State.

The RFSA raffles also ensure that all NSW rural firefighters are represented by a professional entity and that their voices are clearly heard by those in power.