Last week it was announced that the Parliamentary Inquiry into Fiskville has been extended to focus more closely on the response from key agencies to this issue.
We welcome the extension of the inquiry, and remain committed to addressing the potential environmental or health risks associated with our past firefighting practices.
The next stage of hearings will commence on Monday 19 October and continue until early December. The final report from the inquiry will now be issued by 31 March 2016.
Work also continues with the EPA and other government and local authorities to assess the potential environmental impacts of historical fire fighting practices at our other regional training centres.
These training facilities play an important role in supporting our members to develop and maintain the operational skills they need to serve the Victorian community. They also offer opportunities for CFA members to experience the behaviour of live fire in a safe, controlled, and realistic environment.
Therefore I would like to reiterate that our regional training centres remain safe for CFA members and visitors. As we have stated previously, the health risks posed to our members and the community are extremely low.
For more information on the regional training centre environmental assessments, I encourage you to visit the EPA website. The EPA have issued a fact sheet to provide an overview of perfluorinated chemicals, and also established a hotline – 1300 372 842 – to address any community concerns.
Once again, if you require any further information on this program of work you are welcome to contact the Informing the Future Program via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Author: Michael Wootten