Nationals Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland has called on the Treasurer to protect State Emergency Services (SES) units across the state from funding cuts ahead of this year’s Victorian State Budget.
Speaking in Parliament during the week, Ms Cleeland recognised the incredible work the volunteer emergency responders were doing locally.
“I want to express my sincere appreciation for all the SES units across the Euroa electorate who continue to show incredible courage, composure, and expertise even in the most challenging circumstances,” Ms Cleeland said.
“I implore the Treasurer to offer our SES units protection from further funding cuts, and that he does what he can to alleviate the very real stress that they are under already.”
Ms Cleeland said local units had been under significant pressure in recent months, with volunteers being called out for incredibly difficult situations.
“In towns like Euroa, Seymour, Benalla, Heathcote, Murchison, and Kilmore, the local SES units have been at the forefront of all recovery efforts, from floods, storms, power outages, and car accidents,” Ms Cleeland said.
“So often, with accidents in small towns the first responders are neighbours, family, friends, and loved ones – making this an incredibly tough role for these volunteers to have.
“In January, the Euroa SES diligently responded to over 50 callouts in a single night after heavy storms wiped out power for much of the town, while Kilmore’s unit had already responded to 191 requests for assistance in the year so far.”
Ms Cleeland spoke about her recent meeting with the SES Kilmore unit, praising them for their bravery and composure.
“Last week, I met with John Koutras, the unit control for SES Kilmore, and witnessed their rapid response to a Code One rescue call – the most severe and often life-threatening situation,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Within seven minutes, volunteers Cheryl, Simon, Kerry, and John sprang into action, leaving their day jobs without hesitation to aid someone in distress.
“They responded to a head-on collision between two trucks, miraculously saving the drivers’ lives.
“In less than 20 minutes, they professionally extracted one of the men safely from his crumpled truck.
“Their voices remained calm, consistent, and profoundly professional, demonstrating their deep understanding of the task at hand and the urgency to act swiftly and accurately.
“Ensuring these volunteers are properly supported through Government funding is essential and I will continue to call on the Treasurer to provide financial security to all of our regional emergency service units.”
