The Victorian government has announced a $57 million redress scheme to support firefighters who were exposed to toxic chemicals during their training at the former Fiskville training facility.
The scheme will provide payments to people who worked, trained and lived at or near the Fiskville site between 1972 and 2015.
In 2016 a parliamentary inquiry confirmed claims that dozens of firefighters who worked and trained at the site near Ballan, west of Melbourne, suffered cancers linked to toxic firefighting chemicals.
Testing at the Fiskville site found concentrations of of PFAS chemicals were up to 12 times higher than those recommended by international safety guidelines.
A Monash University study found that "overall cancer risk was significantly raised" for firefighters who had a high level of exposure to the site such as training instructors.
The site was permanently closed in 2015.
'A long time coming'
Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes said the acknowledgement of past mistakes was a "long time coming".
"This is about acknowledging the exposure, acknowledging the harm," Ms Symes said.
"But importantly really moving into the future in a way that supports these people."
Ms Symes said the scheme would provide support of up to $45,000 for those who spent time at Fiskville.
She said people who were deemed to have experienced "high exposure" would automatically qualify for a $25,000 payment, with an additional $20,000 for those with a diagnosed condition.
Those with "lower-tier exposure" would be able to access an automatic $10,000 payment, she said.
She said further payments would be available if someone had contracted an illness attributable to their time at Fiskville.
The scheme will provide mental health and medical support to participants along with non-financial help such as counselling.
Ms Symes said the government estimated around 1,300 people will be eligible for the scheme.
Redress scheme acknowledges 'dark stain' over fire service
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) Assistant Chief Fire Officer Mick Tisbury said the redress scheme was motivated by a search for closure rather than financial gain.
"Today is an emotional day but it's a good day," Mr Tisbury said.
"This isn't compensation; this was never about a money grab. This is about acknowledging what firefighters and those affected members of the community experienced."
Mr Tisbury said the inquiry and redress scheme marked a new chapter for firefighters in the state.
"It was a dark stain on fire services' history in Victoria. That damage has been done, nothing we can do about what happened in the past," he said.
"But this is about making sure it never happens again in the future."
He said the support mechanisms launched alongside the financial assistance would be crucial for those affected by Fiskville.
"I thought that these wounds would heal … 12 years I've been on this journey, I thought I was okay," Mr Tisbury said.
"It wasn't until this got brought up again that I realised 'maybe I'm not okay' and maybe I need to go and access some of those mental health supports. And I'll be doing that, I'm not ashamed to say that."
The Fiskville Redress Scheme will open on September 5, with registrations accessible at a dedicated website.
