General News
1 March, 2022
CFA station construction begins
CONSTRUCTION is set to start on the Warracknabeal fire brigade’s new $2M station with the hopes to have the station occupied by September 2022.
CONSTRUCTION is set to start on the Warracknabeal fire brigade’s new $2M station with the hopes to have the station occupied by September this year.
Searle Bros, a regional Victorian-based construction company, is set to start construction on the Warracknabeal fire station in the next two weeks after they took possession of the site on Friday February 25.
This is after they met with local brigade and CFA officers on Tuesday February 22 to discuss preparing the site and construction over the coming months.
Brigade captain Cameron Whelan said the brigade is hoping to see construction finished mid-year.
“They have a completion date of 110 days so they’ve marked July 29 as the actual completion date but that will be contingent on things like supplies, COVID and the weather,” he said.
“It’s an amazing timeline but they’ve said they should be able to get it done in that time.
“Within the next couple of weeks, the site preparation will start (on civil works) and then they will start looking at things like power, plumbing and those sorts of things.
“They’ll then start looking at the slabs, the concrete work and then start building the structure itself and then the building will be fitted out of the internals.”
It’s been a long time coming for the brigade, who first secured the vacant lot on 31-35 Jamouneau Street six years ago.
The new station on Jamouneau Street will replace the current station on Devereux street, which officially opened on September 1, 1984.
The station will feature improved facilities such as more vehicle bays, a larger meeting room, a laundry, change rooms and other amenities.
Mr Whelan said the brigade hopes to start occupying the station later this year and intends to host an open day for residents.
“There’s a lot of things that we’ll need to bring over from the old station and that’s going to take time,” he said.
“Once it’s all finished, the brigade will have an open day so the public will have the opportunity to have a look inside the station and that will be set at a time once we know.
“All we ask people is that while the building is in the process of being built, people are certainly allowed to look from the outside but definitely not allowed to go on-site.
“This larger station will better suit the brigade’s needs and future-proof us for decades to come.
“We’ve never had a laundry or a proper changeroom, so they will be excellent additions.
“From the brigade’s point of view, we just want to thank all community members and also Yarriambiack Shire for their support throughout this project.
“It’s been a long time coming and we've received nothing but positivity. We’re very excited not only for the brigade but for the community as well.”
Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said the new station was just one of many new builds and infrastructure investments taking place right across the state
“The new Warracknabeal station will be a valuable asset for our hard-working, local volunteers to continue protecting their community long into the future,” he said.
The Warracknabeal station is one of 16 new builds funded under the state government’s $126M CFA Capability Package.
Member for Western Victoria Jaala Pulford MP said it was essential for firefighters to have the facilities essential to the community in fire-prone areas.
“With the contract awarded and construction soon beginning, the dedicated volunteers at Warracknabeal CFA are that much closer to their new state-of-the-art facility, enabling them to continue protecting Victorian properties and saving lives,” she said.
The total investment is $2.2M, including $150,000 fundraised by the brigade, and the building is scheduled for completion later this year.