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30 May, 2025
Darlington CFA truck towed in Melbourne
AS Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteers protested the introduction of the State Government’s Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund levy last Tuesday, one brigade has had their tanker towed from the protest in Melbourne.
As the Camperdown Chronicle reported last week, the Darlington CFA brigade was among brigades from the north of the Corangamite Shire who attended the rally in Melbourne.
Darlington CFA member Tony Wynd said the tanker that was brought to the Melbourne protest was their offline tanker, which has not been in use for some time.
“One of our people took it down and forgot to bring it back home,” he said.
“I didn’t see any left behind because I had left at that stage.
“Our other tanker we wanted to leave in Darlington.”
Mr Wynd said there were farmers from all over Victoria in attendance at the Melbourne rally, with “quite a bit of anger” levelled at the State Government.
“It’s very unfair for farmers at this time because we are in drought, and especially for the farmers who now have to pay for the privilege of putting out fires,” he said.
“It’s just an unfair tax and a massive increase for our members – three-quarters of our members in our brigade are farmers, so it hits them hard.
“The CFA have got nothing to do with it.
“A lot of the members who are in the CFA are in the country, and they’re the ones being hurt.
“It’s an unjust tax that they just can’t afford at this time, with buying feed and water.”
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