Lockhart Shire Council has taken a strong stance on the NSW Government’s determination on ownership of Rural Fire Service assets by refusing to carry out stocktakes on these assets on behalf of the NSW Government nor record the assets in the council financial statements.
It has called on the NSW Government to take immediate action to permanently clear up inequities and inconsistencies around the accounting treatment of RFS assets by acknowledging that rural firefighting equipment is vested in, under the control of and the property of the RFS; and amending s119 of the Rural Fires Act 1997 so that the effect is to make it clear that RFS assets are not the property of councils.
Lockhart Council will write to the local State Member Dr Joe McGirr; Treasurer Matt Kean MP, Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience Steph Cooke MP; and the Minister for Local Government Wendy Tuckerman MP expressing Council’s objection to the NSW Government’s determination on ownership of RFS assets.
Lockhart Mayor Rodger Schirmer said the Council had written to the Shadow Treasurer Daniel Mookhey MLC, the Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib MP, the Shadow Minister for Local Government Greg Warren MP, the Greens’ Spokesperson for Local Government Jamie Parker MP and the leaders of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers, Animal Justice and One Nation parties Robert Borsak MLC, Emma Hurst MLC and Mark Latham MLC ) advising them of Lockhart Shire Council’s position.
These letters included copies of correspondence to NSW Government Ministers and seeking Members’ commitments to support NSW Councils’ call to amend the Rural Fires Act 1997 as set out in correspondence.
The Council has also written to the Auditor General advising that notwithstanding any overtures of future qualified audits, it will not carry out RFS stocktakes on behalf of the NSW Government and will not record RFS assets in the Council’s financial statements, noting that the State Government’s own Local Government Accounting Code of Practice and Financial Reporting provides for councils to determine whether or not they record the RFS assets as council assets.
Cr Schirmer said the Council had made clear its complete support of and commitment to local RFS brigades noting that the Council’s action was entirely directed towards the NSW Government’s “nonsensical” position that, rather than being owned and controlled by local brigades, RFS assets are somehow controlled by councils.
“We consider to be a cynical financial sleight of hand abdicating the NSW Government’s responsibilities at the cost of local communities. Council has also affirmed its support to Local Government NSW (LGNSW) and requested LGNSW continue ad-vocating on Council’s behalf to get clarification finally from the State Government about the accounting treatment of RFS assets,” he said.
This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 4 August 2022.
