The PSA has repeatedly asked the RFS for full organisational charts over recent years. The RFS has repeatedly refused.

What we have sought includes the staffing for the Areas and the Districts.

Essentially, the reasons given for refusal are that it would take too many resources to gather this information and that the Areas and Districts are fluid.

To the PSA this is an incredible response. Firstly, how can the RFS, one of the most important of the emergency services in this state, not be immediately aware of its staffing? Secondly, the fluidity they refer to means making changes without consultation, or even communication, with the PSA.

Further, how can an agency that has every right to seek further resources from Government do so when they can’t even advise Government of what they have?

On Friday 2 September in the Legislative Council – Budget Estimates 2022-2023 hearings, Mark Buttigieg MLC sought from the Commissioner a current list of vacancies  across the RFS  and to indicate the location of the vacancies against a current organisational chart. The Commissioner indicated that whilst he could not provide a precise time frame he would provide the requested information.

We are not clear as to whether there was a further reply to this request but when the PSA raised the matter again in our recent Joint Consultative Committee Meeting we got the same reply as in the past. Refusal.

The PSA have made it clear to the RFS that we mean to pursue this. In the meantime we are aware that this week Mr Buttigieg MLC has put a motion forward that has passed through the Legislative Council requesting organisational charts and related information from RFS.

We have previously had to go the Industrial Relations Commission to obtain such information. As RFS was advised at that time the union has a right to such information. There is an obligation for agencies to consult with the union and part of that requires the provision of relevant information to enable that to occur in a balanced way.

The PSA is astounded by the difficulties of obtaining such information. But we are unsure as to what to be astounded about; it is either –

• RFS simply thinks it doesn’t have to provide the information or
• RFS has to scramble to obtain this information because they haven’t kept track of it.

Either way it is not a good look.

One way or another we are going to get it.