CONSTRUCTION of Serpentine’s long-awaited new fire station will start this month but work will not finish until August next year.
The Country Fire Authority on Monday confirmed the start date for work on a project first announced in the 2021 Victorian Budget. “Funding for the station is $3.2 million,” a spokesperson said.
It will be the first new station built in the Loddon since 2019. Powlett’s new headquarters was opened in September 2015 and cost $260,000 while the new Inglewood station opened in 2019 with a price tag of $1.5 million. Other new stations in the decade have included Yarrawalla and Berrimal.
According to multiple CFA sources, Inglewood brigade received one of the new heavy tankers, costing $460,000, in 2022 while Fentons Creek brigade took delivery of its new fire-fighting unit costing $400,000 in 2013. Pyramid Hill, Boort, Murphys Creek and Tarnagulla have also had new tankers in the decade.
But while Powlett brigade members are tackling fire in a 1998 Hino, they are not expecting a replacement tanker any time soon. “The truck is fine for what we do but it doesn’t have the same safety features as modern trucks,” they said.
According to the CFA spokesperson: “The average age of the CFA fleet is 15.9 years and CFA replaces vehicles as, and when, it can within the budget available The CFA base budget for fleet vehicle replacement is around $12 million per year.  The Northwest Region has received 23 heavy tankers and seven ultra heavy tankers with a further five to be delivered by the middle of this year.” The CFA did not provide details of truck or station upgrade plans for brigades in the Loddon Shire’s CFA groups - Loddon South, Wedderburn and Terrick.