MP confronts FENZ over changing answers to questions about replacement fleet

Friday, 13 March 2026

MP Tim Costley says he hopes to secure accurate answers about when the 30 trucks will be in operation. (File photo)

The MP for Ōtaki has told Fire and Emergency NZ he is losing confidence its staff are across issues regarding whether or not equipment they promised to deliver is in operation.

Tim Costley recently spoke at a select committee and questioned FENZ about varying answers it had provided him since December 2024 about 30 new type 3 appliances acquired to upgrade its ageing fleet.

He said he was first told the majority of these trucks were operational, but when he questioned this again in writing in February 2025 was told that number was actually zero.

In January, he asked the question again at a select committee but received a different response – that 14 had been handed over for operational use.

He wanted clarification on this so invited FENZ back to the committee and was told as of February 1 none of the 30 trucks were in use.

In response to his questions about why these answers differed, FENZ said the issue came down to how it had articulated the numbers.

Costley said at the very least that was being a “little bit cute”, and at the other end of the spectrum it was being intentionally misleading.

He said it looked like the organisation was trying to “sidestep” his question and provide an answer that was not “remotely near the truth”.

Palmerston North firefighters walk off the job and into the garden at Te Whare Koha Highbury during their one-hour stoppage on Friday.

The trucks had arrived in the country six years ago, and when he came into Parliament in 2023 he wanted to know why they were still off the road.

“If the February answers are not right as well, that would be the fifth consecutive time we have not received the right answer by FENZ and it gives me no confidence you’re across this issue.”

Costley said he wanted to shine a light on the issue and it was important for him to be a voice for frontline personnel given his own service background.

He knew the Government could not dictate the fire service’s financial decisions, but for him it was about ensuring firefighters had access to the right equipment when they needed it most.

A report would be compiled from the select committee and he said this would be passed to Parliament where it could be chosen for debate.

He hoped to get “up to date and accurate” answers from FENZ about what was happening with the trucks, and how long it would be before they were on the road.

FENZ had been in negotiations with the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union for more than 600 days over issues including claims its fleet was not fit for purpose, with one-hour stoppages now occurring twice a week.

The parties had been unable to reach an agreement despite facilitated bargaining, but an email sent on March 5 from FENZ said it was working on drawing up a new offer.

The union had proposed to escalate its industrial action by banning things like administrative tasks but withdrew this after staff were told wages would be cut by 10%.

FENZ chief executive Kerry Gregory said he had no choice but to make the deductions in a bid to “bring this ongoing industrial action to a head”.

“I believe that the public has suffered as a result of the strike action to date and will continue to suffer for as long as this goes on.”

The union rejected this and said what hurt the public most was the unwillingness of FENZ to meet its demands, which included fair pay, safer working conditions and recognition of occupational cancer as a work-related injury.