A comprehensive health study has confirmed a cancer cluster associated with firefighters at the Fiskville Training Centre, the Victorian Government says.
The Monash University study, which will be released today, found that firefighters who trained at the facility, west of Melbourne, were “significantly over-represented” in cancer statistics.
The Government has promised a parliamentary inquiry into the issue and started the process for establishing one late last year.
It has also promised to introduce so-called presumptive legislation to make it easier for sick firefighters to get compensation.
Premier Daniel Andrews told 774 ABC Melbourne that the report confirmed the link between the Fiskville site and serious illnesses suffered by firefighters.
“That research work confirms beyond any doubt that there is an increased incidence of cancer, things like brain cancer, some forms of melanoma, other types of cancer, deadly types of cancer,” Mr Andrews said.
“There is an over-representation that the report finds is statistically significant, so not one or two, a significant over-representation, among those who spent the most amount of time at Fiskville.”
Mr Andrews said the rate of cancer among Fiskville firefighters could be termed a “cluster”.
“That’s a pretty fair way to term it,” he said.
“That’s a great tragedy. I’m going to get our firefighters and their families the answers they are entitled to.”
Firefighter cancer compensation laws
Currently, firefighters who want to access compensation for chemical exposure must prove which chemicals caused their illness.
Both Labor and the Coalition promised legislation to make it easier for firefighters to get compensation before last November’s election.
It is expected the legislation will cover 12 specific cancers commonly suffered by firefighters, in line with laws in other states.
The new laws will presume that those cancers were caused by exposure to chemicals during the course of firefighting work, unless it can be proven otherwise.