Moorabool mayor Paul Tatchell has slammed the Country Fire Authority’s decision to make redundant 41 hospitality workers employed at the Fiskville training base, which closed in March.
The CFA announced last week it “no longer needed” the workers, who will finish with the organisation by the end of this month.
Although they have been promised separation packages based on their length of service, only 25 were eligible to undertake CFA-funded retraining in horticulture, aged-care, nursing or administration.
Cr Tatchell, who has been advocating for a new training station in the town, described the CFA offer as a “Band-Aid to a shark bite” and questioned its purpose.
“What is the point of upskilling someone if there’s no job to go to?” Cr Tatchell asked.
“The original discussion around the closure was to provide investment in the region, with the prospect of employment for those people. It’s been six months and the CFA haven’t provided a single job.”
Cr Tatchell said the CFA and state government were deluded if they thought unemployment would be solved with separation packages.
The closure of the Fiskville site is being felt throughout the region and local economy, with dozens of retail and tradespeople feeling its brunt.
“You can’t just hope something will go away. You can’t take regional jobs out of regional areas,” Cr Tatchell said.
“There’s no reasonable investment put into Moorabool to ensure these people have opportunities in regional Victoria.
“The state and federal governments just think we’re a road between Melton and Ballarat.
“But there are 200 square kilometres of real people and real issues here, and a lack of serious investment.”
CFA chief executive Michael Wootten said he understood this was a very difficult time for people who had contributed significantly to the CFA.
“Anyone who passed through Fiskville benefited from the hospitality staff’s work, with the dedicated group cooking meals for staff, catering for trainees and cleaning the site after brigades headed home,” Mr Wootten said.
“Our focus now is to work with our people to ensure they receive the support they need.”
Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett praised the CFA for its offer.
“With this package, affected staff will have the opportunity to hone their skills or re-train to assist them in finding more work in the future,” she said.
United Voice, which represents hospitality workers across the state, was contacted for comment.
