Victoria alone, $18 million a year to have fire fighter aircraft on STANDBY (and then heaps extra once they are called out).... much better to have a RAAFie on a salary, on fire fighting duties, who can also get some more stick time... and then when it is not fire season.. it can just be a regular old C130 lumping stuff around... in an hour or so.
Do you have any idea the cost to the taxpayer to staff those proposed RAAF C130's? I think you'll find that your numbers won't add up.