Richard Riordan says he’s committed to providing strong advocacy for local volunteers, as he takes over as Shadow Minister for Emergency Services under a new look Shadow Cabinet.
The Member for Polwarth will add the portfolio to his current role as Shadow Housing Minister, with Victoria opposition leader John Pesutto shuffling around the cabinet following the departure of the Deputy Upper House leader.
“With a really dynamite fire season predicted this year, and as we’ve seen with the unpredictable nature of Victoria, fires at the start of the week floods at the end, (Pesutto) was keen to have a strong regional MP able to represent these issues,” Mr. Riordan said.
“An electorate like Polwarth relies heavily on volunteer emergency services,” he said.
“Whether it’s our volunteer Surf Life Savers, our CFA, our Urban Fire Brigade, SES volunteers, right across the region we have a very strong and vibrant mix of community members who keep people safe.
“So Polwarth is an ideal electorate to work as a springboard for helping keep all of Victoria safe.”
Mr. Riordan said he’s committed to ensuring our volunteers have what they need ahead of a high-risk fire season.
Experts and authorities are predicting dangerous conditions caused by the El Nino weather event, with areas of eastern Victoria already dealing with out-of-control bushfires throughout the week.
“There’s ongoing need all the time to make sure that the people who keep us safe have the equipment and the resources they need to do their job quickly and effieciently to keep Victorian’s safe.
“Particularly in our part of the world, we have so many visitors, literally millions of visitors a year come to our region, which has an added strain to our communities.
“We need the resources and the advocacy to make that work.”
