ESTA crisis: Union calls for overhaul of funding model

Victoria’s firefighters union has called for a complete overhaul of the funding model to the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA), the state’s triple-zero system.

It comes after the release of Tony Pearce’s Report over the weekend which found there had been pleas to increase funding to the service since 2015.

The report also also linked 33 deaths in 18 months to issues plaguing the system.

Secretary of the firefighters union Peter Marshall says the $333 million pledged by the state government to fix the crisis is a short-term solution.

“And more importantly there will be more short-term fixes unless the funding model changes,” he told Neil Mitchell on 3AW Mornings.

“When emergency services had their own communications centre, it was integral as part of the funding arrangement with the emergency services such a police, ambulance, fire.

“Now this is actually this is somewhat remote, it’s one step removed … this doesn’t event rate.

“And what we say now, clearly, it is actually time to have a look at this issue, so that there is a sustainable funding base.”

Press PLAY below to hear Peter Marshall’s concerns over ESTA funding

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