Volunteer work cancers go uncovered for now
Calls have been made to compensate South Australian volunteer fire-fighters for work-related cancers, with new reports saying it would cost less than first thought.
As devastating fires begin to die down across the state, reports suggest the push to compensate volunteers as well as professional may be reignited.
New legislation in South Australia has offered compensation for professional fire-fighters diagnosed with certain cancers deemed to be work-related.
There are some qualifications for the current scheme, including that the cancer must be one of twelve prescribed kinds and the fire-fighter must have faced 35 hazardous fires per year.
The South Australian Government has previously claimed it would cost too much to cover both professional and volunteer fire-fighters.
However, documents reportedly obtained Australian media outlets put the likely cost at less than a third of the figure given to the state government.
Reports claim an actuary had estimated the figure to cover all fire-fighters with no qualification periods would be around $90 million, but it now seems that number should be closer to $27 million.
CFS Volunteers Association President Roger Flavell has previously called the scheme a “disgrace”.
“This Government doesn't seem to be prepared to protect volunteers or support volunteers,” he said.
Both the Liberal and Labor parties have vowed to consider expanding support, if they win the upcoming state election.