National accuses Government of backdown over rural fire engine numbers

National is hailing what it says is an "embarrassing backdown" by the Government over possible cuts to rural fire engine numbers.

Mark Burton, the minister responsible for the Fire Service Commission, said yesterday the Government would not allow any cuts to appliances covering isolated rural communities.

He was responding to National releasing on Thursday a list of what it claimed were planned cuts of 90 vehicles from the the 800-strong national fleet.

The Fire Service national operations manager Steve Turek said on Thursday the list was out of date and there were no plans by the Fire Service to reduce services and appliances in communities.

But the Fire Service is still developing a fleet strategy and admits its impact is not yet known.

Mr Turek said the list was sent to fire regions last year to get their comment on the "operational necessity for the vehicles at any particular location".

However Mr Burton was unequivocal yesterday, issuing a statement saying the Government would not allow any such cuts.

National MP for Piako Lindsay Tisch, who released the list, hailed the comment as a backdown and said volunteer brigades would be relieved to hear they were not losing appliances."This is great news and we will be holding this Minister and Labour to this assurance."

Mr Tisch said it was a "classic case of election-year backdown".

"What Mr Burton is not saying is that there was never any intention."