EXCLUSIVE: THE Country Fire Authority faces a revolt from brigades in Western Victoria over a push to realign brigade boundaries.
Nineteen brigades are refusing to comply with a CFA board decision to realign regional boundaries to match up with municipalities and other emergency services.
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And, if the CFA ignores their concerns, long-time volunteers have told The Weekly Times they will leave the organisation and "do our own thing with our own private equipment".
The CFA volunteers say they are being forced into new regions that do not suit their local climates or fire-fighting culture and fear this will lead to further confusion and disillusionment within the organisation.
Lake Bolac CFA member Peter O'Rorke said the 19 brigades did not want to be split up because they had worked together for more than 60 years and shared similar geography and farming practices.
He said the group had written to CFA chief fire officer Russell Rees in December, and agreed last month to voice their concerns and remain together.
However, Westmere Group officer David Blackburn said he hoped the situation would soon be resolved, as recent meetings with CFA officials and discussions were "now progressing well".
"We're hoping commonsense prevails and the CFA allows the 19 brigades in our group to stay together and for three in the south of our Region 16 to not be spilt into Region 5," he said.
Volunteers north of Casterton in the state's Western District are also dismayed that they will be moved out of the Region 4 area and into the Wimmera's Region 17, with Horsham as the base.
The brigades of Poolaijelo, Chetwynd, Dorodong and Dergholm will all now be forced to report to Horsham.
Murray Davis, a CFA volunteer for 46 years, who farms between Poolaijelo and Dergholm, said volunteers were not consulted over the changes.
"Horsham is 145km from Dergholm, whereas Casterton is just 35km and we all relate to Casterton, nobody goes to Horsham," Mr Davis said.
"Dergholm is clearly more in the Western District - with 100-year-average rainfall of 687mm - than the Mallee."
CFA chief executive officer Mick Burke said no decision had been made.
"The CFA's chief officer and CEO both met with brigades in the Westmere region last week to discuss this matter in terms of opportunities and challenges that any change may bring," Mr Burke said.
"The discussions were useful and we appreciate the time taken by our members to engage with us. "But we are not going to rush this.
"It is important we work with our members to get it right, and that's what we will do."
