We the undersigned petition Prime Minister Morrison and the Australian Government to immediately establish a process to recompense all volunteer firefighters fighting at the front line to defend and protect Australian citizens, visitors to our country, property, public and private; all animals and wildlife; bush including heritage forests and farmland.

The intensity and scale of fires that are currently burning is unprecedented and will remain persistent over the summer. As a result both our professional and volunteer services are exhausted.

Our volunteers are not expected to be on the front line day in day out for months with no end in sight.

Many businesses suffering the consequences of this enduring drought cannot continue to pay their volunteering staff no matter how benevolent they want to be.

Some of our volunteers are business owners themselves, many are tradespeople. If they don't work, they don't get paid. These men and women do not have leave, but are still required to provide for their families. Many of our volunteers are not only serving in their own communities but are being deployed to protect others. Some have lost their own homes whilst doing so.

A country as rich as Australia should not be relying on charity to sustain the services fighting to keep our citizens safe and out of danger.

We owe our brave men and women a deep debt of gratitude as they continue to put their lives on the line for the Australian community and petition that they be provided with financial support (such as the support provided by the Keating Government in 1994) for the duration of their selfless service to preserving life and sustaining public safety.