A parliamentary inquiry into Victoria's 2025–26 bushfire season has confirmed what regional communities have been saying for years: Labor has failed to properly prepare for bushfires, leaving communities across Ovens Valley exposed. The Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee's inquiry found declining CFA volunteer numbers, ageing firefighting vehicles, workforce shortages, inadequate fuel management and significant delays in bushfire recovery. The findings reflect the concerns consistently raised by CFA volunteers, local residents and regional communities. Families across Ovens Valley know all too well that when bushfires strike, they rely on the courage of volunteers and the strength of their local communities, not on a Labor government that has repeatedly failed to support them. The inquiry confirms years of Labor neglect have left our emergency services under-resourced and our communities more vulnerable heading into every fire season. Among the report's findings, CFA operational volunteer numbers have fallen by 26 per cent over the past decade, hundreds of ageing tankers remain in service well beyond their intended lifespan, workforce shortages persist and fuel reduction efforts continue to fall short. These failures were the result of political choices, not unavoidable circumstances. Labor has ignored repeated warnings while allowing fuel loads to build, delaying critical fleet upgrades and failing to properly invest in the CFA. Regional Victorians deserve far better. An elected Liberal and Nationals government would restore confidence by properly supporting CFA volunteers, delivering a transparent tanker replacement program, improving bushfire mitigation and scrapping Labor's Emergency Services Tax in favour of a fairer funding model that backs frontline services instead of bureaucracy. Tim McCurdy, Nationals' MP for Ovens Valley
