Junortoun firefighters want new station as pressure builds on Bendigo fringes

The challenge underscores the need for a new brigade headquarters in Junortoun, firefighters have told the City of Greater Bendigo in a newly-lodged planning application.

The CFA has lodged the plans for the $1.2 million facility in Popes Road, close to where its existing station sits.

"Since audits commenced in 2010, the number of residential dwellings in Junortoun has increased by 526 or 56 per cent," it wrote in its planning submission.

The suburb probably grew to more than 5000 people in 2021, it added.

"Included in the area is McIvor Highway, the second busiest access into Bendigo from Melbourne and access to the northern metropolitan suburbs which are seeing significant growth," the CFA wrote.

The push has the backing of the Junortoun Community Action Group.

That group's secretary Kevin de Vries said the current station was "bursting at the seams".

"They've been struggling to accommodate modern vehicles and up-to-date facilities for hardworking volunteers," he said.

The new 24-hour station would be built on vacant land close to houses.

The CFA told city planners that 50-odd brigade volunteers would only attend for training and an average 38 callouts each year.

"It is noted that the CFA has co-existed with dwellings on the opposite side of the road for many years without issue or complaint," it wrote.

"The siren on the existing CFA building will be relocated and will operate at the same volume level, so there will be no change or increase in this source of noise to the surrounding area."

Volunteers would be able to park in 20 spaces on site.

The CFA does not anticipate any major changes to traffic flows down Popes Road and does not anticipate its trucks being called out to more jobs as the brigade's footprint is not expanding.

The state government promised Junortoun a new fire station at the 2018 election.

The new facility will include a truck and storage shed, storage space, a workshop, a hose drying tower and dual crossovers to Popes Road.

Mr de Vries said he could not wait to celebrate with CFA volunteers when the station was built.