The Australian FIREFIGHTER CAMPAIGN | BUY LOCAL | PRESUMPTIVE | WILDLIFE | HEALTH POLICY
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The Australian FIREFIGHTER CAMPAIGN | BUY LOCAL | PRESUMPTIVE | WILDLIFE | HEALTH POLICY PPROVED PP 543 451/00009 One fire service A T 47 ISSUE 1 2010 POS T N I PR VOL more firefighters The Australian Firefighter I 1 First State Super takes control of fees When you join First State Super you are part of a not for profit fund where the focus is on our members Choose your future with About our fees First State Super There are no entrance fees or ongoing Flexible insurance options contribution fees A range of 11 investment options We don’t pay commissions or brokerage to advisers Choice of 2 superannuation income streams There is a low administration fee of $52 a year All the latest fund and investment (plus 0.20% pa for income stream accounts) information is available online Access to an experienced, responsive First State Super customer service team Winner of Money Magazines’ Best of the Best Over $18 billion in assets and 520,000 2008, 2009 and 2010 Lowest-Cost Super Funds members Take us with you wherever you work and stay with us when you retire! Want to join us? Please consider the First State Super Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) having regard to your own situation before deciding whether to become a member or Web: www.firststatesuper.com.au continue membership. A copy is available by calling us or visiting our website. Phone: 1300 650 873 The information contained in this document is current as at May 2010. Prepared by FSS Trustee Corporation ABN 11 118 202 672, AFSL 293340, the trustee of First State Superannuation Scheme ABN 53 226 460 365. Email: enquiries@firststatesuper.com.au BEST 0510 BEST_0510.indd 1 25/05/10 3:11 PM VOL 47 ISSUE 1 2010 The Australian Firefighter PRESUMPTIVE EXPLAINEDON THE CONTENTS CAMPAIGN 4 Contacts TRAIL 5 Editorial 6 International news 7 National news One fire service 8–15 Branch news more 16–19 Cover story firefighters 20 Presumptive COVER STORY 16 WORKFRONT SAFETY 20 21 Muscular Dystrophy 22–23 NCOM gallery 24–25 Buy Local 26–27 Vic Campaign 28–29 Power Plays 30–31 The Insider BUY LOCAL 32–33 Men’s health policy 34–35 Wildlife protection 36–37 Winter warmers 38–39 River reverie CAMPAIGN 40–41 Revolution TRAIL 42 The last word WORKFRONT PROTECTION 24 WORKFRONT CAMPAIGN 26 REVOLUTION OR JUST REVOLTING? NATIONAL POLICY RIVERS THE INSIDER 30 LIFE HEALTH 32 LIFE PLAY 40 The Australian Firefighter I 3 CONTACTS United Firefighters Union of Australia United Firefighters Union of Australia National The Australian Firefighter Magazine website: ufua.asn.au 410 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC 3065 Editor: Dave Lane Australian Capital Territory Branch email: [email protected] Secretary: Jason Jones Design: Studio Pazzo Pty Ltd Unions ACT, 189 Flemington Road Mitchell ACT 2911 mob: 0418504642 Ph: 02 6175 3434 Pre publishing: splittingimage.com.au United Firefighters Union of Australia Aviation Branch Cover design: Andrew Cunningham Secretary: Mick Farrell Cover pic: AAP image /Alan Porritt 86A O’Shanassy St, Sunbury VIC 3429 Advertising and publishing National Office Ph: (03) 9746 3722 Fax: (03) 9746 3766 ufua.asn.au Austral Media Group Ltd ACN 068 899 696 New South Wales Branch 63–71 Boundary Rd, North Melbourne VIC 3051 Australian Capital Territory Secretary: Chris Read Ph: (03) 9328 4226 Fax: (03) 9329 4633 Branch ufuact.asn.au 1–7 Belmore Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Ph: (02) 9218 3444 Fax: (02) 9218 3488 Contributors Aviation Branch We welcome your contributions to The Australian ufuav.asn.au Queensland Branch Firefighter Magazine. Make it a letter, story, Acting Secretary: John Oliver column, feature or even just an idea. Send us NSW Branch Level 1, 286 Montague Rd, West End OLD 4101 you photographs too, but make them a minimum fbeu.net of 120mm x 80mm at 300dpi. We like travel and Ph: (07) 3844 0366 Fax: (07) 3844 0367 workplace stories, as well as personal profiles. Queensland Branch Email all to [email protected] South Australian Branch ufuq.asn.au Secretary: Greg Northcott Authorised by P Marshall 410 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC 3065 Tasmania Branch 148 South Rd, Torrensville SA 5031 ufutas.asn.au All material in The Australian Firefighter magazine Ph: (08) 8352 7211 Fax: (08) 8234 1031 is subject to copyright and cannot be published or Victorian Branch reproduced without permission. Victorian Branch ufuvic.asn.au Secretary: Peter Marshall Opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, the United West Australian Branch 410 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC 3065 Firefighters Union of Australia, or the publisher. ufuofwa.net.au Ph: 03 94198811 Fax: 03 9419 9258 Contributions are accepted on the basis that the material is accurate and not defamatory. No Tasmanian Branch responsibility is accepted for error or omission and Secretary: Richard Warwick every effort is made to verify submitted material. 379 Elizabeth St, North Hobart TAS 7000 National It is not possible for the publishers of The President Ph: (03) 6234 9331 Fax: (03) 6234 9505 Australian Firefighter to ensure that advertisements Mick Farrell published in the magazine comply with all aspects Western Australian Branch of the Trade Practices Act 1974; that responsibility Secretary: Graeme Geer rests with the person, company, or advertising 21 View St, North Perth WA 6006 agency submitting material for publication. Ph: (08) 9228 8122 Fax: (08) 9227 7822 PRINT POST APPROVED PP 543 451/00009 Advertising: Advertisements in the publication are solicited from organisations and businesses on the National understanding that no special considerations, other than those normally accepted in respect of commercial Secretary dealings, will be given to any advertiser. Peter Marshall Not a phone list: It is the desire of the publishers that the Australian Firefighter Buying Guide be used for the benefit of its members and valued sponsors. Therefore we ask you to respect the intention of the Australian Firefighter Buying Guide and not to use it for the purposes of telemarketing and soliciting of donations. Any person, group or company who decides to use the directory in this way is deemed as having accepted the following rates and becomes legally liable to pay these amounts: 1. An amount of $20.000 to a charity nominated by the publisher for the use of the directory as a mailing list, 2. An amount of $50,000 to a charity nominated by the publisher for the use of the directory as a telemarketing list. 4 I The Australian Firefighter EDITORIAL From the From the National Secretary National President s daily temperatures drop across the continent, the political elcome to this new edition of The Australian Firefighter. temperature is on the rise. A federal election will soon be There can be no argument that a firefighter’s work A upon us and this gives firefighters an ideal opportunity to W environment is more dangerous than any other campaign on a number of issues that have direct impact on our civilian workplace; that’s why the UFUA places a primary focus working lives, health, safety and the protection we provide to the on occupational health and safety issues. And it’s the Rudd communities we serve. government’s program to replace state and territory based The current national political climate is one that can work in OH&S laws with a national set of standards that’s another favour of firefighters, the UFUA and the Australian Union movement election year issue getting firefighters out on the campaign trail. right across the board. The government is under pressure from The federal ‘harmonisation’ of OH&S regulation is designed the coalition, it has suffered a number of self inflicted wounds to streamline the laws, make them more consistent and reduce and voter support is drifting to minor parties. This has created an bureaucracy. However, the current draft is a worry to the Union ideal campaign environment movement because it looks like the and firefighters are taking government is going for a lowest the opportunity to press our common denominator solution when demands vigorously. instead it should be picking the best With the overhaul of from each jurisdiction. We detail the Australia’s Award system well issues at stake in this edition of underway, a review of awards the magazine. and agreements covering public The cover story examines sector fire authority employees the Victorian Bushfires’R oyal will be conducted this year. Commission and the UFU The government likes to call Victorian Branch’s submission for its streamlining of the system a restructure of the state’s fire Award ‘modernisation’; the services. Union movement is not so sure While the Royal Commission that’s the correct word for it. is yet to deliver its final After the decade of report, it seems likely that its Howard government attacks recommendations will not only on workplace rights and reverberate throughout Victoria trade unions, Unionists can but will have major implications be pleased with a number for fire and emergency service of protections the Rudd management structures and government has introduced as practices right across the country. part of its FairWork industrial The OH&S theme continues with relations package. However as UFUA National Secretary Peter Marshall and National President a contribution from Queensland always, the devil is in the detail Mick Farrell at the March NCOM meeting in Perth Branch President Steve Bunney on and the government’s version of presumptive laws for firefighters who flexibility could have serious consequences for firefighter staffing, contract workplace diseases such as cancer. Steve is the UFUA’s rosters and hours of work. All UFUA branches will be campaigning Presumptive Laws National Officer and he provides valuable together very strongly to ensure firefighter safety and our ability advice about protection against exposures that can trigger some to respond quickly to emergencies is not compromised by federal of these deadly diseases.