Thank you to the hundreds of members who attended our recent AGMs across the state. It was good to provide an update on the Award process, the work of our office, presumptive legislation, and answer a lot of very thoughtful questions.
The motion was declared carried at the final meeting as per the below:
Motion
Support
Reject
Abstain
Adoption of minutes
235
22
1
PRESUMPTIVE CANCER BILL UPDATE
Following this week’s announcement, I can confirm that the Workers Compensation Legislation Amendment (Firefighters) Bill 2025 is now progressing through the Legislative Council where it will be debated on Tuesday 18 November. Members can find a copy of the current Bill here. The first and second reading speech will be available here soon.
This development comes off the back of a sustained push from the FBEU membership over several years. Improving presumptive cancer legislation has been a key priority of the Union, and member feedback this week has reaffirmed just how important these protections are for firefighters and their families.
While this development is a significant step forward in the Cover Our Firies campaign, more work is needed. This week, FBEU Officials worked across Parliament to ensure the Bill is retrospective in its application for members who had previously made a claim which was denied on the basis of causation – that is, proving the connection between employment and cancer.
The Bill in its current form does not provide for retrospective claims, falling short of FBEU expectations. These circumstances aren’t unfamiliar as some members will recall from the 2018 fight to introduce the initial presumptive cancer legislation. It was the then Labor opposition that worked alongside the FBEU and the crossbench to ensure retrospectivity was applied to the 2018 Bill, ensuring that all firefighters benefited from the increased protection of presumptive cancer legislation. Retrospectivity remains the goal of the FBEU, and I can confirm that it has broad political support.
Members are encouraged to watch this space closely. Further updates will be provided in due course.
