Cracking firetrucks, $1b funding shortfall identified in Victorian audit

Victoria's auditor-general has found more than $1 billion in extra investment is needed to provide critical upgrades to the state's fleet of aging fire trucks.

A report released by the auditor-general on Wednesday examined whether the fleet of more than 3,000 fire trucks were fit to meet the state's firefighting needs.

The audit found almost 60 per cent of Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) trucks were more than 15 years old, despite FRV internal documents recommending fire trucks be replaced at that age.

Auditor-General Andrew Greaves found $1.5 billion in investment was needed between 2024-25 and 2033-34 to maintain and replace the trucks that make up the multi-agency firefighting fleet.

He found only $390.4 million — about a quarter of what was needed — had been allocated in grant and budget funds so far, an investment shortfall of more than $1 billion.

"It clearly shows that we have more work to do," Premier Ben Carroll said.

Cracking issue put crews 'at direct risk'

A recent Labor election promise to deliver 150 new fire trucks by 2030 was not considered in the audit, but United Firefighter Union boss Peter Marshall said that offer was only a fraction of what was needed.

He said the report demonstrated what firefighters had been saying for a long time. 

"Those persons responsible for the budget cutting, the cost cutting, allowing firefighters to use equipment that was just not suitable and dangerous, they should be made accountable," Mr Marshall said.

The audit also found a widespread cracking issue among trucks managed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) had "put firefighters at direct risk".

The cracking problem became so widespread DEECA had to suspend more 54 per cent of its own fleet — nearly 350 trucks — ahead of the 2025-26 summer.

The audit found DEECA, the lead agency for bushfire prevention on public land and state forests, continued to use fire trucks with known cracks and also operated trucks over safe weight limits.

Treasurer knocked back funding requests

Former state treasurer Jaclyn Symes was forced to defend her record after the report pointed out that the FRV and CFA shrunk recent funding requests in response to the treasurer's instructions to limit asks in line with the government’s fiscal strategy.

The audit said FRV initially requested almost $160 million in fleet capital in 2024-25, which it found would have covered just over half of the investment required.

FRV's actual funding proposal was reduced to just $14 million, less than five per cent of what the audit calculated was needed.

Ms Symes said fiscal responsibility was necessary and that there was no "special treatment" for some organisations in need of state funding.

"[All government agencies] are asked to make sure that they bid for what they need, not necessarily everything that they want, because it's difficult decisions that need to be made," she said.

Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said the restrictions on Victorian fire services was proof the current government had "not managed the finances."

But Emergency Services Shadow Minister Danny O'Brien acknowledged the investment required was "a very big figure".

Mr O'Brien did not say if a Liberal-National government could commit to reaching the $1.5 billion investment the auditor said was needed, but said the opposition would have further announcements on this topic soon. 

"We have been working on this for sometime, to trying to work out how we can afford to modernise our firefighting fleet," he said.