As fire season kicks into gear this week, the Country Fire Authority (CFA) have been handed a new station on Specimen Hill Rd in Golden Square.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Thanks to $3.7 million worth of funding from the state government's Fire Services Reform in June 2020, the new Specimen Hill Road station will replace the rapidly deteriorating 110 year old High Street one.
The historic, old station had been undergoing small modifications to adapt to the growing brigade, however it now does not have enough motor room space to accommodate the required vehicles.
Read more: CFA rescues second furry friend in one week
Thanks to recently approved planning permits from the City of Greater Bendigo, the new Golden Square station will provide the CFA with a modern, ready to use facility, able to accommodate all emergency vehicles as well as the 48 volunteers and 19 operational firefighters.
It will also house new training facilities and hopefully encourage new memberships.
The brigade has played a crucial role in Greater Bendigo firefighting efforts, responding to over 150 callouts this past year - with the load to increase over summer.
Golden Square Station is one of 16 being replaced under the $126 million CFA capability funding to meet the demands of growing townships and emerging weather threats well into the future.
The Victorian Government has committed to $126 million in CFA funding over the next five years to keep rural volunteers equipped and prepared for emergencies.
Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards thanked Golden Square CFA - one of the longest serving brigades - for their service.
"Our CFA volunteers work tirelessly to protect their communities, so it's important that they have the facilities they need to support the fire response in Bendigo West," she said.
"The new Golden Square station will better equip our dedicated volunteers to continue their life saving work and will also support the retention and recruitment of members."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Download our app on iOS and Android
- Bookmark bendigoadvertiser.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter @BgoAddy
- Follow us on Instagram @bendigoadvertiser
- Join us on Facebook
- Follow us on Google News