Rural fire brigades face battle

Dundowran Rural Fire Brigade’s David Kohler, Dave Spawton, Keith Speirs, Peter O’Brien and Hervey Bay District Rural Fire Group chairman Denis Dack are losing their funding.

Karleila Thomsen

COMMUNITY unrest about increases to fire levies is set to ignite community meetings in Dundowran tomorrow.

Recent meetings in Toogoom and Booral between local residents and representatives of the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service have been the scene of angry exchanges.

Substantial hikes to the fire levy paid by homeowners in the outlying suburbs of Hervey Bay is driving discontent along with the fear that rural fire brigades will be robbed of funding.

Ratepayers will be charged a $161 levy which will go to the urban brigades operated by the QFRS.

In areas affected by the boundary change, this will replace the old $25 rural subsidy that went to rural brigades.

A QFRS spokesman said costs increased because urban district boundaries were extended to enhance people's safety and increased levels of service required increased funding.

Hervey Bay District Rural Fire Brigade Group chairman Denis Dack said the change could force rural brigades in Toogoom, Booral, Craignish, Nikenbah and Dundowran to close.

"The $25 levy funded those local brigades, but with the changes, rural services in those areas will receive nothing. It will go to QFRS," Mr Dack said.

"We are not disputing that some of those areas now need urban trucks, but we think the fee should be shared to enable us to continue operating."

He said urban trucks could not attend fires on soft ground and claimed people's safety was at risk if rural groups were closed.

Fraser Coast Regional Council Mayor Mick Kruger said the region relied on rural services.

"We are asking the QFRS to subsidise because the rural fire levy will cease and those people will have to pay an urban fire levy instead. We won't be getting any rural levy," he said.

The next community meeting will be held at Dundowran Hall tomorrow at 6.15pm.