00:02No hot water, no change rooms and nowhere to clean fire gear.
00:08This is where the Axe Creek CFA Brigade calls home.
00:12We're struggling to attract newer members. We've got not a lot to offer them.
00:17Axe Creek was on the front line of this summer's bushfires at Harcourt.
00:21It's also one of several fire stations to once again miss out on crucial upgrades,
00:26despite their local member being the Premier.
00:28It's our truck, it's our people, our members that will be going and defending her home.
00:34This year's budget includes $26 million for upgrading stations at other locations,
00:39such as Lakes Entrance, Beveridge and Charlton.
00:43$217 million will go towards purchasing heavy tankers,
00:47upgrading vehicles and conducting more planned burns.
00:50And $100 million will go to new CFA tankers and pumpers.
00:53But that will be spread over 10 years.
00:56There is a regular pipeline here that CFA can plan for.
01:00It's not just a one hit wonder in terms of manufacture, and that will drive down prices.
01:05Just months from the state election, community anger over CFA funding is red hot.
01:10It's really good that you're doing it, but it's election year.
01:13Why weren't you doing it four years ago and previous?
01:16CFA Captain Michael Shea today confronting the Emergency Services Minister.
01:21He says more than 800 fire trucks are currently ageing or out of date.
01:26They've known for many years that their funding is not enough.
01:29And yeah, a bit emotional. It's frustrating.
01:33Adding fuel to the fire is the government's controversial emergency services levy.
01:38So far, it's raised $1.6 billion.
01:41But when fully rolled out, we'll see farmers, many of whom are CFA volunteers,
01:46face significant tax hikes.
01:48The fund is there to give us certainty and to give our emergency services that funding certainty.
01:53In Victoria's south-west, Borongaruk West's CFA Brigade will be getting an upgrade.
01:59The station has no drinking water.
02:01Waiting to see if it comes to fruition.
02:04So it's only going to be good for us if it does come in.
02:07Volunteers across the state are hoping not to get burned.
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