Union says Black Saturday lessons not learned before Hazelwood mine fire

Lessons learned in the Black Saturday bushfires were not applied in the lead up to the Hazelwood mine blaze, the firefighters union says.

United Firefighters Union spokesman Mick Tisbury said Victoria was unprepared to protect residents close to the mine, four years after the royal commission's findings into the 2009 fires that killed 173 people.

The report into the Hazelwood coalmine fire, which was tabled in parliament yesterday, found not enough was done to prevent the blaze and residents should have been told earlier to get out of the town, which was blanketed by toxic smoke and ash for 45 days.

Mr Tisbury says the lack of preparation also exposed firefighters to elevated levels to carbon monoxide.

He says while the inquiry recommended a 20-year community health study, there is still no acknowledgment of the cumulative effects on firefighters' health.

"The Napthine government continues to deny the link between firefighting and cancer and has refused to follow other states with legislation to support firefighters with work-related cancers," he said.

Mr Tisbury said the inquiry found the Country Fire Authority would have deployed more resources if they had them.

"After Black Saturday the government agreed to fund an extra 342 full time CFA firefighters," he said.

"Now, the CFA, backed by the Napthine government, is resisting employing these firefighters and has gone to the Federal Court to challenge this commitment."