January 20, 2026 — 10:00am
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Funding to the Country Fire Authority (CFA) increased last year, a delayed annual report revealed, after consecutive cuts and a downward trend in funding dating back to 2020.
Government grants to the volunteer emergency service were $361.3 million in 2024-25, up from $339 million the year prior.
Premier Jacinta Allan spent much of last week defending the state government’s funding of the CFA. Wayne Taylor
This followed annual decreases for funding between 2020-21 and 2023-24, despite Premier Jacinta Allan’s insistence that it had increased every year.
Despite increased grant funding last year, the CFA ran another operating deficit for the second year running. The service recorded a net operating loss of $50.8 million in the year, an improvement on the $64.7 million losses the year prior.
The CFA annual report, which should have been made public last year, was tabled in parliament on Tuesday after Allan and Emergency Services Minister Vicki Ward accused the opposition of stoking misinformation over its funding.
Its board and CFA chief executive Greg Leach last week also disputed funding had gone backwards.
Allan had claimed the delay to its publication was the result of the auditing processes, prompting the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (VAGO) to intervene and state it was not responsible for the later-than-usual release.
The CFA provided its finalised annual report to the Department of Justice and Community Safety in November, and it was received by Ward in December.
Nationals leader and opposition spokesman for emergency services, Danny O’Brien, said the report confirmed government funding had dropped over five years.
“Premier Allan’s claim that her government has only ever increased funding to the CFA is wrong.”
Speaking on ABC Radio on Tuesday, Ward said grants did not include surge funding and that fire services had gone through transformational change in recent years.
“I’m not trying to not be clear, and not have a really clear description of what it is that it funds. It’s just that it’s complicated. Emergencies are complicated. Emergency services are complicated. We’re focused on readiness, we’re not about focusing on spreadsheets,” Ward said.
In a statement, Ward thanked the thousands of CFA members protecting Victoria and said the report showed funding was at its highest in five years.
She again accused the opposition of “fearmongering”. “At a time when fire affected communities are looking for clear information and support, the Liberals are spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories,” Ward said.
“The leader of the opposition should apologise for her misinformation campaign.”
Ward also called on Opposition Leader Jess Wilson to withdraw from a conference where Barnaby Joyce, who defected from the Nationals to One Nation, intends to advocate against renewables.
Leach, in his foreword in the report, said a key focus of the year was financial sustainability and maintaining the authority’s asset base.
“CFA continues to focus on the challenge of achieving financial sustainability and providing fleet and assets to support our volunteers in delivery of services to the community.”
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The report showed that, of 1208 brigades, 61 per cent managed less than $50,000 in their account. Another 31 per cent have up to $250,000, while 8 per cent exceeded that.
“CFA is committed to working with brigades to develop a financial plan that documents what they are saving for and any planned future spending,” the report said.
“It can take a brigade many years of community fundraising to raise sufficient funds for the items they need, particularly where they are saving for a new fire truck.
“Every vehicle that a brigade fundraises and saves for is a vehicle that does not need to be funded by the government.”
About 28 per cent of the CFA’s operational fleet has been funded by brigades rather than the government.
Leach acknowledged the expanded Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF), which goes towards emergency services, had been “a point of contention for many of our people this year”.
“CFA provided advice and advocated, where appropriate, on behalf of volunteers to seek improvements to the ESVF, ensuring that our members are recognised for the work that they do.”
Chief fire officer Jason Heffernan also recognised the levy had “caused concern among many of our members”.
“CFA believes that our volunteers should not be paying for the services they deliver, so we welcome the Victorian government’s rebate scheme for volunteers,” Heffernan said.
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Rachel Eddie is a Victorian state political reporter for The Age. Contact her at rachel.eddie@theage.com.au, rachel.eddie@protonmail.com, or via Signal at @RachelEddie.99Connect via Twitter or email.From our partners