The horror fire season, which began in September in northern NSW, has placed extra strain on volunteers with the state's Rural Fire Service. Mr Morrison said financial support was needed to sustain volunteers through extended periods of leave. "The early and prolonged nature of this fire season has made a call beyond what is typically made on our volunteer firefighters," Mr Morrison said. "While I know RFS volunteers don't seek payment for their service, I don't want to see volunteers or families unable to pay bills, or struggle financially as a result of the selfless contribution they are making. "This is not about paying volunteers. It is about sustaining our volunteer efforts by protecting them from financial loss."

Mr Morrison said other states and territories could apply for similar support, and the arrangement with NSW was borne of "direct consultation" with the NSW government and the RFS. Rural Fire Service volunteers have been fighting the state's bushfires for weeks. Credit:Nick Moir "We are responding to the request made by NSW," he said. "The fire chiefs and state and territory governments know they have our full support, and will get whatever they ask of us." The payments are free of tax and will not be means-tested. The scheme is open to employees of businesses with an annual turnover of up to $50 million, and its overall cost will be determined by demand. This is not about paying volunteers. It is about sustaining our volunteer efforts by protecting them from financial loss. Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Funding for the scheme is not capped. Mr Morrison said expenditure would be determined by demand, and that volunteers who are most affected by extended periods of time away from work would be the highest priority to receive funding. Payments will be administered by the NSW government. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said her government stood "shoulder to shoulder" with the volunteers who put their "lives at risk to protect the community". "We are now pleased to provide administrative support to the Commonwealth to compensate our brave volunteers for loss of income," she said. Victorian Police and Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said her government would consult with volunteers before committing to a Commonwealth payment initiative. "We're always willing to discuss support for our emergency services volunteers, but we need more detail on this proposal before we comment further," she said.

The Commonwealth's support will be in place for this financial year only, and any longer-term arrangements will be considered at the Council of Australian Governments meeting in March, Mr Morrison said. Loading The announcement on Sunday will remove a consistent line of attack from the opposition which has for weeks called on the federal government to pay volunteers. Labor leader Anthony Albanese said on Saturday that Mr Morrison had not responded to his request for payments for more than a month after he wrote to the Prime Minister. "He has repeatedly refused to act on this issue when it has been raised with him,” Mr Albanese said.