Legislation allowing ownership of more than 6,000 NSW Rural Fire Service firefighting and support vehicles to transfer from local councils to the RFS has passed State Parliament.
Under the Rural Fires Amendment (Fire Fighting Fleet) Bill 2026, ownership of the RFS “red fleet” is scheduled to move to the service from 1 July 2027.
RFS to Take Responsibility for Fleet
Under the existing arrangement, many RFS vehicles are legally held by councils despite being operated and managed by the Rural Fire Service.
The reform will bring ownership, maintenance and operational responsibility under the RFS, with the aim of creating more consistent fleet management across NSW.
Local Government NSW has previously supported the change, noting that councils currently carry the vehicles on their balance sheets despite having limited control over their acquisition, use and disposal.
$470 Million Fleet Investment
The transition is backed by a $470 million investment over 10 years.
This includes more than $29 million over two years to establish up to eight regional maintenance hubs and $106 million over four years for maintenance and safety upgrades.
The hubs are intended to provide more consistent servicing and maintenance for firefighting vehicles across regional NSW.
Transition Begins in July 2027
The legislative changes do not alter councils’ existing responsibilities for activities such as hazard reduction or land management.
Parliamentary debate also confirmed that vehicles and equipment independently purchased by councils for their own land management purposes are not intended to be transferred under the reform.
The NSW Government and local councils will now work through the transition arrangements ahead of the planned 1 July 2027 transfer.
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