BALLARAT firefighters have warned of growing response times after the CFA refused to release response time data under Freedom of Information laws.
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“We’re looking at the way Ballarat’s growing, the introduction of more school zones out on the edges of town – it’s taking longer to get places as we head further out,” said Ballarat United Firefighters Union spokesman and Ballarat City Fire Brigade member Brenton Smith.
“The fact they won’t release (response times) speaks for itself. If they had confidence in the responses, they’d release it.”
The union applied for response time data for 2012-13 in May.
However, the CFA refused to release the information and said in its ruling that it would “expose the CFA to unreasonable disadvantage” and “would be likely to cause a loss of confidence in the service provided by the agency”.
The union has claimed the decision was part of a move to protect the state government from damaging numbers before November’s election.
“The Napthine government seems intent on keeping secrets from Victoria ... ambulance response times, and now CFA response times,” said UFU Victorian secretary Peter Marshall.
Victoria Police also decided to postpone its November crime statistics release.
Ballarat West MP Sharon Knight said the government was hiding evidence of poor emergency responses.
“Victorians know our ambulance system is in crisis, they know crime is on the rise, and they know Mr Napthine cut $66 million out of fire services. It’s no wonder he is hellbent on hiding the data,” she said.
Wendouree candidate Craig Coltman said the opposition should not be attacking the CFA for denying the FOI request.
“The CFA do a fantastic job and it is disappointing that Daniel Andrews and Sharon Knight are making cheap political points out of this issue,” he said.
Premier Denis Napthine supported the holding of the police and ambulance data until after the election.
alex.hamer@fairfaxmedia.com.au