RFS funding would hurt urban fires: union A Queensland rural firefighter monitoring a blaze. Photo: Source: Facebook Increasing the funding allocation for the state's rural fire service could mean robbing the red trucks to pay for the yellow ones, the fire fighters union has warned. The Malone review, a report into Queensland's rural fire service division and how it could be improved, concluded that the service's "allocation of funding is not sufficient for the service provided by the Rural Fire Service in Queensland and needs to be increased." But making that happen in a tough economic climate isn't easy, which is why the report recommends that the Urban Fire Levy be renamed the Queensland Fire Levy, opening the door for the rural fire service to receive a bigger allocation. By the end of the 2012-13 financial year, the levy will have collected $353.7 million. The state government will contribute an additional $49.7 million, with the Commonwealth contributing $4.9 million. The state government provides an additional $49.7 million and the Commonwealth contributes $4.9 million. The rural service receives about $22 million from that funding. The remainder of their $36.4 million budget comes from own source revenue funding, like Brigade contributions and grants. The report's authors conclude that "there has been capacity for some time for rural fire services in Queensland to be appropriately funded" but that urban fire services have been seen as a higher priority. State secretary of the United Firefighter union, John Oliver, said it wasn't that simple. "The concern I have with that is the urban fire levy is already under pressure," he said. Firstly, we are struggling to maintain a fire service now. Secondly, there has been no estimate of what climate change may cost us in the next five to 10, 15, 20 year outlook. What the review could do is set up competing interests. And it is unfortunate. I hope it doesn't occur, because we have a really good relationship with the fire fighters on the ground, it is usually the management layers which get in the way of good relations. Mr Oliver suggested increasing the fire levy as a solution. I am in support of the rural fire service and believe that they should have a funding increase, however, it is obvious to me that the fire levy system is outdated in Queensland and it needs a review across the board. And whether that means increases for everybody well maybe that needs to happen. It may not be a huge increase; it may just be a notional increase to assist the rural brigades rather than trying to take it from another pot. Ted Malone, the assistant minister for emergency volunteers led the review, the latest in a long line looking at the direction of the rural service. The review team wrote that funding needed to be increased - but said that the volunteers should not have to raise those funds themselves. Detail on the other 90 recommendations can be found here.