VOLUNTEER Fire Brigades Victoria is pushing for presumptive legislation so firefighters with cancer can receive compensation to be put before parliament as soon as possible.
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The legislation is planned to hit parliament in 2016, following an election commitment from the Labor Party to ensure the laws are passed.
However, VFBV District 15 president Maurice Preston said Victoria had now reached a point where it was one of only two states, along with New South Wales, to not have the legislation.
“We are at the stage wondering why we are getting left behind,” he said.
“Well you have volunteers who have been in the service for thirty years plus, so why would we wait until next year?
“They need the support as well.”
A Victorian government spokesperson said it was made clear prior to the election that the legislation would be passed in 2016.
“We are working through the details and talking with stakeholders including the Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria and the United Firefighters Union,” the spokesperson said.
“Firefighters put their lives on the line to keep Victorians safe and this is about protecting those who protect us."
It is understood this is the earliest time the legislation can be brought to parliament, given the work that has to be undertaken.
Similar legislation was passed in Queensland last week, which would mean that a firefighter’s cancer is presumed work related, provided it is one of the 12 typical cancers found in firefighters and that firefighter has sufficient years of service.
It has been proven, that firefighters are more prone to certain types of cancers due to their work.
Mr Preston said currently firefighters had to do a lot of work to prove the cancer was caused by the jobs they do.
As part of the process firefighters may be asked to pin point which incident they attended that could have caused the cancer.
“They have to prove their worth and do all the homework and run around,” he said,
VFBV chief executive Andrew Ford echoed this sentiment saying burden of proof on firefighter was “near impossible”.
“The sick firefighter is expected to come up with the evidence, often more than exists in the CFA’s own files, when the cause of their cancer be a fire or chemical spill 10 or 15 years ago that they don’t even remember attending,” he said.