With a busy fire season already underway, work has finally begun on the new Golden Square Fire Station which will see one of the oldest fire brigades in the state move to new headquarters by the end of next year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Construction has started at the 69-73 Specimen Hill Road site, with a new $5.7 million station to provide more space and better facilities for volunteer firefighters.
Golden Square Fire Brigade captain Bryan Greenwood said the brigade outgrew its High Street facility a while ago.
The historic station didn't have enough space to accommodate any new tankers or cater for the growing brigade.
"Our current facilities are very restrictive," Captain Greenwood said.
"We can't train on site. We've got a lot of brigade procedures in place to actually be able to operate out of there safely."
"We currently operate five vehicles. Four of them are stored at our current station. The fifth one is currently stored off-site at a different location because we can't fit it in our current site."
"So with that, it becomes very difficult to operate in a timely, safe manner."
Numbers capped due to station size
Captain Greenwood said the current station meant members had to be capped at 25 firefighters.
"Currently we are at capacity really in regards to new membership, but obviously we always need more," he said.
"We're always trying to squeeze in more until we get these new facilities.
"We'll be able to double our membership from approximately 25 firefighters to anywhere up to 50 firefighters in the new facility, which would be good."
He said brigade members had been campaigning for a new station for more than 30 years.
The brigade has operated since 1881, and has been at its High Street home for more than 110 years.
State government project since 2009
Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards said a new station for the Golden Square CFA was a project handed over to her by former MP Bob Cameron in 2009.
"It never happened because we lost the election and we weren't in government and it wasn't recommitted to, until we committed the funding for a new station in 2021, so it has taken some time," she said.
Issues were raised around finding a site, which Ms Edwards said was "the biggest hurdle", and then there were further issues with contaminated soil.
"Golden Square CFA have been operating out of that station for 114 years and that station is well and truly passed its use by date," she said.
"It is a wonderful historic building but not suitable anymore for a modern CFA to operate from.
"The brigade have advocated strongly and for a long time so I'm really pleased that I've been able and proud to have been able to work with them to deliver this for them."
What to do with the old building?
The old High Street building, which is heritage listed, is owned by the CFA.
Ms Edwards while it would "require a lot of money" to maintain, she hoped to see it used in the future.
"Ultimately it is up to the CFA to determine what the future use of that building is," she said.
"It may well be that they decide to sell it, but I'll be having conversations with people that have the decision-making powers around that station about what its future use could be."
Jonathon Magrath
Jonathon has been living and working in Bendigo since March 2021, currently working as a general reporter. Contact him on jonathon.magrath@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
Jonathon has been living and working in Bendigo since March 2021, currently working as a general reporter. Contact him on jonathon.magrath@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
