Tania Maxwell has welcomed the state government’s decision to establish a $57 million redress scheme for firefighters and others suffering cancer and other major health problems caused by hazardous fire chemical exposure at the Country Fire Authority’s Fiskville training centre.
The Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party Member for Northern Victoria said the government was acting six years after a parliamentary inquiry made 125 findings and 31 recommendations, including a dedicated redress scheme for those affected.
“I was especially heartened to see that the new scheme will not restrict successful claimants from pursuing other forms of state compensation, including Victoria’s presumptive rights scheme and workers compensation, “ Ms Maxwell said.
The presumptive rights scheme provides compensation for career and volunteer firefighters diagnosed with certain cancers – but not yet for cancers that occur only in women.
“I hope the government will move faster to add female-specific ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers to the presumptive rights scheme schedule of diseases,” Ms Maxwell said.
“I introduced a bill in May 2022 to add these three cancers to the existing schedule of presumptive rights when the government committed to bring a lasting solution ‘at the proper time’.
“With the World Health Organisation’s cancer agency (IARC) since reclassifying firefighting as carcinogenic to humans, surely ‘the proper time’ has arrived.
“The Volunteer Fire Brigades of Victoria strongly support this move, as do members of Fire Services Victoria, Country Fire Authority and the United Firefighters Union.”
Ms Maxwell said the government was also on notice to speed meaningful redress for victim-survivors of physical, emotional and psychological abuse when they were children in state care.
“Many, many years later, the older people still living in trauma have been ignored and abandoned by the Victorian government,” she said.
“Again I ask the Attorney-General, when will you act?”
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Image: CFA Victorian Emergency Management Training Centre
