Big drop in funding in recent years
By Aaron Cordy
WHILE our brave CFA volunteers continue to battle fires in the state, the CFA’s 2024-25 Annual Report has finally been released. From the outside, the report looks positive with the $361.3M grant income up on the previous year’s $339.5M.
After praising CFA members who have been fighting fires and supporting flood-affected communities along the Great Ocean Road, the Minister for Emergency Services, Vicki Ward, spoke favourably about the increase in a statement.
“The CFA’s 2024–25 Annual Report makes it clear: in 2024-25 CFA funding reached its highest level in five years. Grant funding to the CFA has increased by nearly $22M, and total income is up by more than $26M,” said Ms Ward.
But Jacinta Allan and the state government have come under backlash over the previous cuts to CFA funding, which clearly show that, despite recent increases, the CFA has been received significantly less than it did before 2020.
In the 2019-20 CFA report, the CFA’s income was $807.4M. In the two previous financial years, their income was over $600M. In 2020-21, the grant income was slashed to $351.6M, then continued to drop over the next three financial years, before it was increased to $361,3M last year.
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has been a strong voice slamming the State Government reduced funding of the CFA.
“The gap between funding and the demands on volunteers is continuing to widen. It’s at a point where we’re putting people in harm’s way,” said VFF President Brett Hosking.
“This shouldn’t be a political issue. We’ve always said we’re prepared to work constructively with the Government on sustainable, long-term funding for the CFA.
“You’d think we could at least get back to 2020-21 funding levels in real terms. That shouldn’t be controversial.
“Our volunteer firefighters don’t ask for much. They give their time freely, they put their bodies on the line, and they ask only that they have the equipment, training and support they need to do the job. Right now, the funding is failing them.”
Australia has a long history of bushfires. In 2026, the state has already had a brutal reminder of the devastation fires can wreak upon communities, and the tireless bravery of CFA volunteers who battle those blazes on our own doorstep. Many in the community feel that adequately funding them so they can continue saving lives with the best equipment and training available should be the bare minimum they receive.
