Wagga Mayor Dallas Tout calls on state election candidates to intervene on 'Red Fleet'

Last year the Auditor General ruled that NSW Rural Fire Service, or 'Red Fleet', assets are the property of NSW councils and are therefore to be recorded in council's financial statements.

Councils across the state argue that these Red Fleet assets are the councils property in name only as they don't have any say in the acquisition, deployment or disposal of the assets.

At a recent council meeting general manager Peter Thompson described the edict as an "absurdity".

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"We don't, but we should, include in our accounts equipment we don't purchase, we don't use, we don't know what it is, we don't use it, we don't decide when to get rid of it and we don't have anything to do with it when it's disposed of.

"Yet somehow we were meant to include that list on our books."

Wagga is one of over 60 NSW councils who have refused to add the Red Fleet to their financial statements, something Cr Tout argues puts the council at risk.

In a letter to all of the candidates - as well as Treasurer Matt Kean and ten other NSW MPs - Cr Tout said as a result of the refusal, the council has been issued with a 'Modified Audit Option" on their financial statements.

Essentially labelling the council as non compliant due to assets unaccounted for, which could impact future borrowing power.

"Potential impacts include higher interest rates for borrowings offered to WWCC, as financial institutions may perceive WWCC as being a higher risk option compared to other councils that do not have a modified audit opinion," he wrote.

"The Government's blanket determination is not only nonsensical, it is also inconsistent with the treatment of the comparable assets of other emergency service agencies such as Fire & Rescue NSW (FRNSW) and the State Emergency Service (SES).

"There is no rational reason for maintaining this anomaly."

Cr Tout wants the NSW government to amend the act to make clear that the Red Fleet is no longer the property of NSW councils.

Greens candidate Ray Goodlass told The Daily Advertiser it is " yet another example of state government cost shifting down to local councils".

"It is high time this dreadful practice was stopped."

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers candidate Chris Smith said there needs to be a "shared responsibility when it comes to emergency assets". But he said he would need more information before making a decision.

Liberal Julia Ham was non committal, telling The Daily Advertiser she "is aware of the issue" and "will always advocate for the community and be their voice in the Parliament on any issue including this one".

Keryn Foley said Labor "have committed to a review of Section 119 of the Rural Fires Act 1997", and is considering logical reforms to the act.

While incumbent Joe McGirr called the "cost shifting" onto local councils "unethical" and "counterintuitive".

"My stance will be to support council in this push back and make sure that the state government continues to pay for these assets," he said.

Nationals candidate Andrianna Benjamin also backs a change to the legislation and said nationals MLC Wes Fang has been "directly liaising" with members of the government for a solution.

"We will continue fighting to find a resolution that works for both the State Government and Local Councils to provide them with greater certainty," she said.

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