Priority Three: Plan and build for the future

What success looks like at year 5

Success statement

The Year 2–5 Implementation Plan defined success at year 5 for Priority Three as:

Strategic frameworks support the fire agencies to understand and assess fire risk and opportunities into the future, building capability which enables them to effectively deliver integrated and interoperable services to the community. The agencies will deliver effective integrated services across the emergency management continuum that achieve quality public safety outcomes.

Actions under this priority

Priority Three had 12 actions to be acquitted through individual or joint agency efforts.

The actions below were developed to operationalise and embed practices and outcomes that would support planning and building for the future of the fire services.

Findings and considerations

Measuring against the success statement

At the end of the Year 2–5 Implementation Plan, we note that all required actions were acquitted and consider that the work of the agencies have contributed towards the objectives delineated in the success statement, with the foundational supports required for long-term success in place.

The Priority Three actions are critical to interoperability between the CFA and FRV and the success of a complementary fire service.

Overall, the actions completed have empowered the agencies to embed processes and frameworks that facilitate interagency operations and strengthen their collective capability to support sector-wide responses.

We acknowledge and highly commend all parties on the substantial progress they have made since the start of FSR in progressing a complementary fire service that meets the needs of the community and responds to new challenges and risks. However, we also note the complex challenges of harmonisation and the secondment model.

We acknowledge there is still work to do as part of making the actions BAU and encourage all parties to continue on their journey towards the success statement beyond the Year 2–5 Implementation Plan.

Information and communications technology

Action 3.1 was designed to ensure FRV’s ICT was consistent across all its stations to support service delivery.

It required FRV to deliver the following 3 deliverables:

• All transitioned stations and workplaces use a consistent STO system.
• Relevant corporate systems are transferred from CFA to FRV (where mutually agreed) to support transferred employees.
• An ICT strategy maps the future uplift requirements for FRV across operational and corporate areas.

Since acquittal, FRV has advised that the status of its ICT restoration work, following the December 2022 cyber attack, has successfully returned most of the critical services to a sustainable state and delivered uplift across ICT delivery functions. It has also advised all systems relevant to quarterly outcomes reporting have been restored, including the key platforms required to support accurate and timely data reporting.

Going forward, we were informed that FRV has pivoted to a strategic Cyber Uplift Program to run from 2026 to 2028. This will focus on strengthening cyber maturity, addressing residual risks and building long-term capability to better protect the organisation against future threats.

We acknowledge the work FRV has done to rectify ICT issues that were exposed by the cyber attack and the
long-term strategic approach to bolstering its cyber maturity and threat response mechanisms.

Acknowledging that the dynamic nature of the ICT landscape gives rise to the need for continuous review, upgrades and associated investment, we consider that while FRV does not necessarily need to always be at the cutting edge of technology, we encourage FRV to ensure its ICT remains modern, efficient, effective and fit for purpose.

Capital works and improvements

Actions 3.2, 3.4 and 3.5 were designed to equip the CFA and FRV with modern infrastructure to ensure effective fire services could be delivered to the community. These actions comprised important capital works projects to stations and appliances, with the agencies collaborating to deliver some of the works on behalf of the other.

Action 3.2 required the CFA to deliver a $48.2 million fire station and firefighting fleet replacement program to replace priority stations and appliances. The investment aimed to ensure these stations and appliances were fit for purpose and able to meet the demands of the current climactic environment. There were 3 deliverables related to this action.¹⁴

The CFA has advised us all deliverables were completed. The Community Safety Building Authority (CSBA) is now responsible for coordinating the building of certain CFA assets. CSBA’s program status report at the end of May 2025 shows that 7 stations were in practical completion. We note there are a further 17 stations that will be progressed by the CFA and the CSBA as part of BAU.

Action 3.4 required FRV, in consultation with the CFA, to identify capital works required across designated
co-located stations and to develop a tenancy agreement for agreed projects. It had 2 deliverables:

• understanding of all outstanding capital works required across designated stations
• agreed capital works framework (tenancy agreement) that provides guidance on delivering capital projects.

Noting that FRV received 9 station builds and modification projects as part of FSR for action 3.4, we reported in our 2023–24 annual report that agreements of capital works and the Tenancy Agreement were foundational steps in the broader plan to replace and upgrade designated stations.

Since acquittal, FRV has informed us that progress on the capital works across the stations has continued, with works at Boronia and Mornington substantively completed.

Action 3.5 required the CFA to complete capital works for 3 fire stations and fleet replacement projects for 14 heavy pumpers and one combined aerial rescue pumper on behalf of FRV. We assessed action 3.5 as partially completed in 2023, noting that the CFA had transitioned the delivery of in-flight projects and responsibility for the 350 Firefighter Program – Capital Sub-Program to FRV and that when in-flight builds were transferred from one agency to another, there was a lack of agreed formalised acceptance criteria to assess the completion of work.

Upon review in 2025, we understand the station and fleet deliverables were completed in full and have reassessed action 3.5 as completed.

At year 5, we commend both agencies on their individual and collaborative progress across the various capital works programs. Acknowledging the challenges, such as cost and/or shortage of materials facing the broader building industry, as experienced by both agencies in delivering capital station builds, we encourage the agencies to continue working closely with government on forward planning and funding submissions for these capital works to enable the delivery of effective fire services to the community.

Transfer of assets and obligations

Transferring assets and obligations (action 3.3) from the CFA to FRV under FSR meant transferring relevant stations, appliances, financial arrangements, employee liabilities, in-flight capital projects and equipment to FRV.

The allocation statements, transfer statements and tools of trade agreement are crucial components to the reform and were delivered over 5 tranches.¹⁵

We commend the CFA on having progressed through the substantial transfer of assets and obligations and understand that the work will continue as part of BAU with oversight by the HoA. We also understand, as advised by FRV, that there are no known impacts to their service delivery despite the remaining work, and interim arrangements are in place to ensure services continue.

Personal protective clothing

Action 3.6 was designed to ensure FRV firefighters had access to and were protected by modern PPC. It required FRV to equip all FRV firefighters with the new generation PPC garments.

FRV has advised us that as at 30 June 2025, all FRV firefighters have been supplied with the new generation PPC structural ensemble, with more than 26,000 structural PPC garments and more than 18,000 wildfire PPC garments issued. Notably, where possible, FRV has donated PPC that was previously issued to seconded employees back to the CFA for volunteers’ use.

We commend FRV on its delivery of the PPC project and encourage FRV to ensure the requisite procurement and supply chain continues so its firefighters are well equipped and protected while serving the community.

Joint governance

Maturation of governance arrangements (action 3.7) that oversaw interoperability procedures and arrangements required joint efforts by the agencies through separate deliverables:

We noted in our 2022–23 annual report that although the action was reported by the agencies as completed in 2023, the particular interdependencies with actions 3.9, 3.10 and 3.11 meant some aspects were ongoing. We also noted that several IPs had been reported by FRV as developed because their review of this type of work had transitioned to BAU under FSOC oversight.

At year 5, FRV has advised of the status for the below IPs:

In 2023, we noted that establishing a formal joint exercising program for co-located stations was an issue and acknowledged the efforts taken by both agencies to progress the matter.¹⁶ Since acquittal, FRV has advised that a draft joint-exercising planning paper was tabled at the July 2025 FSOC meeting for review and feedback and that a draft joint-exercising IP was submitted to the FSOC Doctrine Subcommittee. FRV has advised that following feedback, an updated version of the drafted IP with an extra addendum to plan, record and report on outcomes of joint exercises will be referred back to the FSOC Doctrine Subcommittee for review.

We have also been advised that discussions at the FSOC on templates for the referral of matters for action and reporting between the various governance bodies is underway, and we strongly support such measures taken to further strengthen governance arrangements for the FSOC and its subcommittees.

We commend both agencies in their continuation as active participants in, and the maturation of, the governance arrangements and the harmonisation of procedures, delegations and SLDAs. Although we note that some meetings have been postponed due to competing operational priorities and unavailability of key members, we understand the members continue to jointly progress key work outside of the formal forums to expedite and continue progress of the committees. These dynamics assist with maintaining the effectiveness of the FSOC in progressing joint
decision-making and governance across shared initiatives.

We also understand both agencies have recently added respective representatives from the HoA and the Joint Secondment Workforce Advisory Group (JSWAG) to the FSOC membership to support further stability, accountability and communication upwards to the HoA, supporting coordination and continuity of the agencies’ contribution to these forums.

Understanding that the agencies have competing priorities and staff changes are unavoidable, we encourage both agencies to continue working closely through the various governance arrangements and to ensure there is appropriate accountability at each layer for ongoing joint development and implementation of interoperability requirements.

Compliance with training obligations for seconded instructors

Action 3.8 was a joint action designed to facilitate compliance of FRV seconded instructors with the CFA’s RTO obligations and requirements. It required both agencies to work together on 3 deliverables.¹⁷

Although the agencies acquitted the action, we noted the respective acquittal reports did not agree on the status of deliverables. The CFA stated this action is yet to be completed, while FRV stated that residual work will be completed through BAU. We understand that the main crux of the issue pertains to the Child Safe Standards and for instructors to hold a valid Working with Children Check (WWCC).

Notwithstanding, we understand that action 3.8 intersects with action 5.1, which relates to the capabilities the CFA requires of senior operational staff supplied to it by FRV under the Secondment Agreement. Crucially, action 5.1 also addresses child safety compliance requirements. This action is being driven by the JSWAG and its Child Safety Working Group, with oversight provided by the HoA. We note that the roadmap developed under action 5.1 does address WWCC for seconded instructors, with interim measures proposed to be put in place to mitigate risk where instructors do not hold a valid WWCC.

Ultimately, both agencies agree on the principle that all seconded instructors should hold a valid WWCC, and we understand that FRV has since progressed a related dispute with the UFU, which is being heard by the Fair Work Commission.

At year 5, we acknowledge the actions relating to seconded workforce requirements to be the more complex ones to progress and highly commend both agencies on the efforts to collaborate to the extent possible within the limitations of the industrial arrangements. We also acknowledge the alternative pathways that have been developed with genuine goodwill. However, we are also concerned about how long the WWCC issue has been open and the time it has taken for mitigative options to be canvassed and strongly encourage the agencies to continue open communications to address and progress these secondment challenges through the various joint governance arrangements.

Harmonisation of service delivery and operations

Actions 3.9, 3.10, 3.11 and 3.12 were designed to cement the practical arrangements required to operationalise complementary fire services. These actions aimed to enable both the CFA and FRV to deliver effective and efficient services to the community.

As we noted earlier, actions 3.7, 3.9, 3.10 and 3.11 are interconnected, with the governance arrangements established under action 3.7 providing oversight of, and underpinning, the joint responsibilities of both agencies in harmonising procedures to support effective operations between the 2 agencies. As well as the deliverables led by the CFA to finalise delegation authorisations and its internal policies and procedures, this includes to support operationalisation of the SLDA and schedules.¹⁸

Action 3.9 was a joint action that required the CFA and FRV to agree on how key services would be delivered to the community through 6 deliverables.¹⁹

Although the agencies acquitted the action, we saw that both acquittal reports indicated some deliverables were not yet complete and would transition to BAU.

Since acquittal, both agencies have advised us that discussions on service delivery plans (SDPs) for land use planning and dangerous goods have begun, as it was agreed that the interim arrangements are not sustainable in the long term.

We have also been made aware that several other SDPs have been developed but not yet finalised. These include SDPs for protective equipment, structural fire safety and use of Victorian Emergency Management Training Centre campuses. The SDPs for communication technicians and for fire services communication controllers were approved by the HoA post-acquittal to progress to formal consultation with FRV’s industrial partner.

We understand the SDP for specialist response instructors is no longer required, with the HoA having approved, in August 2025, removing the requirement for its development, noting that the CFA and FRV have reached in-principle agreement for 3 specialist instructors to be seconded to the CFA to deliver these services. The CFA and FRV will ensure these extra secondment positions are captured in an addendum to the Secondment Agreement.

Despite the incomplete SDPs, the agencies have advised us that arrangements remain in place to ensure continued delivery of services and that service delivery risks are monitored through the HoA.

Action 3.10 required the CFA to finalise relevant delegations to enable FRV service provision in the CAoV, as specified in the SLDA and schedules relating to the following services/legislation:

• fire investigation
• dangerous goods
• structural fire safety
• caravan parks
• land use planning
• Building Act 1993.

As reported in 2023, while the CFA acquitted the action, it could not lawfully delegate all powers to FRV for end-to-end service delivery for dangerous goods, caravan parks and land use planning. The CFA advised us that where new arrangements were established under action 3.9, the delegations and authorisations will be reviewed and updated to support agreed arrangements established under the SLDA.²⁰

Since acquittal, we understand the legislative barriers that constrained the CFA’s ability to delegate the 3 outstanding powers remain. However, the CFA has advised that the agencies have an agreed standard practice whereby the CFA would contact FRV at the start of each quarter to confirm if changes are required to delegations. The FSIM has viewed evidence of such an updated instrument of delegation and instrument of authorisation for FRV employees providing these services to the CFA dated November 2024.

We acknowledge the efforts of the agencies to co-deliver such services in the CAoV and recognise that the agencies have shown genuine and sustained tenacity to develop alternative ways for delivering services to the community when the legislative environment has not been conducive to complete interoperability for this action.

Action 3.11 required the CFA to develop internal policies to support SLDA and schedule arrangements. We noted that the key deliverables were also duplicated in action 3.9:²¹

• Review and update of IPs underpinning the CFA/FRV Joint Operational Activity memorandum of understanding (MoU).
• Harmonisation of operational doctrine via the established doctrine working group.

Also, we noted above, action 3.7 intersects with actions 3.9 and 3.11 in the development and update of IPs and establishing the FSOC Doctrine Subcommittee as part of the governance structure.

Since acquittal, the CFA has advised of no changes required and that the interconnected actions deliver holistically on the required outputs and outcomes.

Action 3.12 was a joint action that required the CFA and FRV to ensure service delivery requirements are supported through fit-for-purpose agreements. The action had 4 deliverables.²²

The agencies both acquitted the action, noting that the sub-schedules for the 3 co-located brigades were incomplete and would progress under BAU.

However, since acquittal, both agencies have advised us that the South Warrandyte sub-schedule has now been finalised while work on the Dandenong and Melton sub-schedules are still progressing.

At year 5, we highly commend both agencies on their individual and collaborative progress towards joint interoperability opportunities to provide a complementary fire service to the community and to strengthen the working relationship between the agencies. We acknowledge the significant challenges in harmonisation activities, particularly the limitations presented by legislative and EA requirements. We strongly encourage the agencies to continue building on the foundation they have established under reform and to continue pursuing changes, incrementally or otherwise, for the betterment of a truly complementary fire service.

Footnotes

1. FSIM, Annual Report 2023–24, Monitoring 'in progress' actions.
2. FSIM, Annual Report 2024–25, Appendix, Action 3.2.
3. FSIM, Annual Report 2024–25, Appendix, Action 3.3.
4. FSIM, Annual Report 2023–24, Monitoring 'in progress' actions.
5. FSIM, Annual Report 2022–23, Progress of Action 3.5.
6. FSIM, Annual Report 2024–25, Priority Three: Plan and build for the future.
7. FSIM, Annual Report 2023–24, Monitoring 'in progress' actions.
8. FSIM, Annual Report 2023–24, Monitoring 'in progress' actions.
9. FSIM, Annual Report 2024–25, Appendix, Action 3.8.
10. FSIM, Annual Report 2024–25, Appendix, Action 3.9.
11. FSIM, Annual Report 2022–23, Progress of Action 3.10.
12. FSIM, Annual Report 2022–23, Progress of Action 3.11.
13. FSIM, Annual Report 2022–23, Progress of Action 3.12.
14. Action 3.2 deliverables as listed in the Appendix.
15. Action 3.3 deliverables as listed in the Appendix.
16. FSIM, Annual Report 2022–23, Progress of Action 3.7.
17. Action 3.8 deliverables as listed in the Appendix.
18. The schedules that underpinned SLDAs transitioned to service delivery plans under the agencies’ joint Fire Services Reform Doctrine Framework, FSIM, Annual Report 2023–24, Monitoring 'in progress' actions.
19. Action 3.9 deliverables as listed in the Appendix.
20. FSIM, Annual Report 2022–23, Progress of Action 3.10.
21. FSIM, Annual Report 2022–23, Progress of Action 3.11.
22. Action 3.12 deliverables as listed in the Appendix.