Queensland meets a burning need, hires 500 more firefighters
The Queensland government says it will recruit more than a hundred extra firefighters on top of those it was already targeting in the coming years.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Greg Leach speaks to the media during a press conference in Brisbane2. (AAP Image/Russell Freeman)
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced $400 million to add personnel and upgrade firefighting equipment on Wednesday, a day after her government revealed a much higher than expected 2021/22 budget surplus of $4.3 billion.
The government had planned to hire 357 firefighters by 2026, but it has upped that target to 500.
“Our emergency services do an extraordinary job keeping us safe and it is crucial that we continue to stay well prepared,” Palaszczuk tweeted on Wednesday morning.
“We are well prepared and the historic changes we will announce today will help put our emergency service personnel in the best position to respond when disasters strike.”
Queensland firefighters are responsible for rescuing people from a range of disaster situations, including during floods and cyclones.
Palaszczuk says the state is the most disaster-prone in Australia and has faced 100 of the events since 2011.
Police Minister Mark Ryan, Queensland Fire and Emergency Service Commissioner Greg Leach and other emergency services heads are due to speak about the recruitment plan on Wednesday.
