CTA Agreement FAQs

You can access the proposed Agreement via FRV’s website(opens in a new window). We encourage you to read it carefully.

Please also access and read the Explanatory Memorandum (via our website) which explains the terms of the proposed Agreement and their effects.

The Agreement will come into operation seven days after Fair Work Commission approval.

The nominal expiry date of the proposed Agreement is 31 December 2029. After the nominal expiry date, the Agreement will continue in operation until it is replaced by a new Agreement, or the Fair Work Commission terminates it.

Please refer to the Benefits at a glance and wage tables(opens in a new window) resource.

Please also refer to the proposed Agreement in full(opens in a new window) and the Explanatory Memorandum(opens in a new window) to see more detailed information about the terms of the proposed Agreement and the effect of those terms. These documents are available on our website(opens in a new window).

The first pay increase would be effective from the first full pay period (FFPP) on or after 1 January 2026.

You will begin receiving the increased rate in the FFPP after the Agreement commences operation.

You would receive a payment covering the difference between your current salary and the new salary rates for the period from the first full pay period (FFPP) on or after 1 January 2026 until the new Agreement commences operation.

Yes, superannuation would be paid on any back pay payments made except for remuneration that would not ordinarily attract superannuation (i.e. overtime and expense payments).

Employer superannuation contributions will be lifted to 12.5% with effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2026.

Yes. Your base rate used to calculate overtime would increase in line with the wage increase effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2026.

However, the new overtime penalty (double time for all overtime hours) in the proposed Agreement would not apply retrospectively. The new overtime penalty would apply once the proposed Agreement comes into operation.

Yes. The rate used to calculate higher duties would increase in line with the wage increase effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2026.

However, the other changes to higher duties provisions in the proposed Agreement (e.g. higher duties allowance applying when higher duties are performed for two working days or more) would not apply retrospectively. This new provision would apply once the proposed Agreement comes into operation.

Yes. The rate used to calculate your leave loading would increase in line with the wage increase effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2026.

However, employees covered by the PTA Agreement that are not currently entitled to annual leave loading would not have leave loading apply retrospectively to annual leave taken before the proposed Agreement comes into operation.

On the first full pay period (FFPP) on or after 1 January 2028 (Year 3 Increase), the proposed Agreement provides a one-off alignment with the 1 May 2027 rates in the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement 2024 (VPS Agreement) if these rates are higher than the FRV rate would be, inclusive of the 4% Year 3 increase.

In simple terms this means that from the FFPP on or after 1 January 2028, employees would receive either a 4% increase or an uplift to the equivalent rate in the VPS Agreement if the VPS rate is higher. These calculations have occurred and are reflected in the ‘FFPPOA 1/1/2028’ column in Schedule 1 of the proposed Agreement.

Many of the FRV classification rates, once the comparison had been performed, were better off with the 4% Year 3 increase under the proposed Agreement than the comparable VPS rate.

There is no link or reference to the VPS Agreement or its classification structure in the proposed Agreement. The VPS Enterprise Agreement was used only as the point of comparison for the Year 3 rates under the proposed Agreement.

This is a once off, point in time alignment which led to the final rates agreed with the bargaining representatives and included in the proposed Agreement. There would be no increases to any FRV rate solely as a result of any future increases to VPS rates under any successor VPS Agreements.

The alignment comparison was undertaken consistently across all FRV classification levels.

It is important to note that while the outcome naturally differs because the alignment differed at different VPS and FRV classifications and rate, no individual is worse off because of the VPS wage alignment taking place.

Allowances that existed under the current CTE or PTA Agreements and which are specified in the proposed Agreement to increase from the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2026 would be retrospectively increased and back pay would apply.

Allowances that are new under the proposed Agreement will not apply retrospectively. They would only apply once the proposed Agreement comes into operation.

In accordance with clause 33 of the proposed Agreement, if a gym is not accessible at the workplace of an employee, FRV will provide a $125 gym membership reimbursement in lieu of the $125 sports voucher currently available to those covered by the proposed Agreement.

It should be noted that a very limited number of employees would not have an accessible gym at the workplace. For example, those employees based at the Spring Street site have access to the Eastern Hill gym.

If eligible employees elect to receive the $125 gym membership reimbursement this will be in lieu of the $125 sports voucher for the relevant year.

Otherwise, employees remain able to access the sports vouchers in accordance with FRV policy. See the FRV Corporate Apparel Policy(opens in a new window) or Sports Voucher(opens in a new window) for more information.

The employees employed at the time who will be covered by the proposed Agreement are eligible to vote. This includes most employees who are covered by the following current enterprise agreements:

• Fire Rescue Victoria (Former CFA) Professional, Technical & Administrative Agreement 2016 (PTA)

• Fire Rescue Victoria (Former MFB) Corporate & Technical Employees Agreement 2017 (CTE).

This does not include Fire Safety Officers or Fire Safety Coordinators, who are not eligible to vote. These employees will be covered by the forthcoming Workplace Determination for operational employees.

Contractors to FRV and agency employees are not eligible to vote, as they are not employed by FRV.

Your employment contract will state which enterprise agreement applies to you. If you are unsure about your enterprise agreement coverage, please email employeerelations@frv.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window)

The ballot process will be managed by external provider, CiVS, to ensure a confidential voting process.

Employees can vote using three methods – online, SMS or telephone voting.

Detailed instructions for how to vote will be shared with you by CiVS, including a unique Username and PIN.

No. However we strongly encourage everyone who would be covered by the proposed Agreement to have their say by casting a vote.

The proposed Agreement will only be approved if the majority of eligible employees who cast a valid vote, choose to approve it. Employees who do not vote are not counted for or against the proposed Agreement.

CiVS is an independent organisation with experience conducting over 3,600 ballot services, including public sector organisations.

More information can be found on the CiVS website(opens in a new window).

Yes. We are working closely with CiVS to ensure that all current eligible FRV employees are contacted directly with individual instructions on how they can vote.

If you'll be on leave during the voting period or have not received any contact from CiVS, please reach out to morgan.blake@frv.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window) to provide a personal email address or mobile phone number so CiVS can send you voting instructions and access.

The proposed Agreement will be approved if more than 50% of employees who vote, vote to approve the proposed Agreement.

For example, if 100 employees vote, at least 51 would need to vote "yes" for the Agreement to be approved. If 50 or fewer vote "yes", it will not be approved.

If the proposed Agreement is approved by employees, FRV will make an application to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to approve the proposed Agreement. The FWC will assess the proposed Agreement under the ‘Better Off Overall Test’, as well as ensuring that it has been genuinely agreed to by employees through FRV’s access period and voting processes.

The new Agreement would come into effect seven days after FWC approval is received. We estimate that the FWC approval process will take approximately four to six weeks, but it is dependent on their processes. FRV will keep employees informed throughout these steps.

FRV will keep you informed through our usual communication channels including emails from FRV Communications and our intranet.

You can also stay up to date by visiting the CTA Agreement page(opens in a new window) on our intranet, where the latest information will be published.

If the proposed Agreement commences in operation, new wage and allowance rates would apply from the first full pay period on or after the commencement date.

The wage increases would be back paid to the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2026, as outlined in the proposed Agreement. The allowances specified in Schedules 1 and 2 would also be backdated.

All other terms and conditions would take effect from the date the proposed Agreement commences operation as outlined in the proposed Agreement.