The bushfire Royal Commission’s recommendation to create a domestic aerial firefighting fleet has been ignored by the federal government.

Independent Senator Rex Patrick is lobbying the government on the issue, telling Mark Levy there are Australian operators ready to invest if a simple change is made.

“All the government has to do is change the contract terms.

“During our off-season, our aircraft would be going overseas assisting other countries and … bringing money back to Australia, assisting our economy.

“The government rolls out the price of something without recognising the value of the jobs that are created; the value of having the assets here … on tap, ready to go.”

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Image: NSW RFS