By KATRINA BRANDON
HANDFUL of upgrades have come through for Country Fire Authority (CFA) establishments over the last year, but Hazelwood North CFA is not one of them, despite the brigade being promised new facilities.
Sitting on shared property with Gippsland Water, with insufficient facilities and off a road with a 100km/hr speed limit, the brigade needed something to change.
The Nationals have declared that if elected, they will upgrade the station.
State Leader of the Nationals, Danny O’Brien, Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, and Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath, recently met with Hazelwood North CFA Captain Brad Key and other volunteers.
“We have seen too much neglect of the CFA over the last 12 months,” Mr O’Brien said.
“We haven’t had enough investment in our CFA stations since the Community Safety Building Authority took over about four years ago for building stations for the CFA.
“We had figures recently released that showed there have been two a year built compared to 29 a year built before that, when CFA was managing the station builds. That means that too many stations like Hazelwood North have missed out.”
Mr O’Brien said the Nationals plan to get regional CFA stations up to modern standards, to ensure local volunteers are being provided with the facilities and services they need.
“Our volunteers do an amazing job, and deserve to have the facilities that they need,” he said.
“We know we can’t do them all, but this one is a very high priority for us, as well as making sure that regional Victoria gets its fair share.”
Mr Cameron highlighted that Hazelwood North CFA is approaching its 100-year celebration.
He said a past promise to build a new-and-improved station has been left behind.
“This site has become unsafe for the Hazelwood North CFA when they do turn out, and the facility that they currently work out of has one toilet for both males and females, no turnout room, and is out of date,” he said.
The commitment is part of the Nationals and Liberals’ Fair Share Guarantee – a commitment that at least 25 per cent of all new infrastructure spending is allocated to regional Victoria, up from 12 per cent.
Captain Key said the station would be grateful to have a new facility available. He added that the brigade, particularly long-time member Maria Harkins, has been pushing for the new shed for around 15 years.
Brigade members have taken home contaminated gear, and had to wash it with their everyday clothes for many years.
Hazelwood North CFA attended 98 callouts last year (double the previous year), ranging from grass and structure fires to motor vehicle incidents. Hazelwood North supports brigades in Morwell, Traralgon, Churchill and other surrounding teams.
Beyond fire or accident-related incidents, the brigade also tows a weather trailer on occasion.
“We’ve also got one of five weather stations that are remote, four weather stations that are deployed all over the state,” Captain Key said.
“They’re deployed all over the state when there are fires, control burns, or floods (recording activity remotely), where the Bureau of Meteorology don’t have any weather facilities. The volunteers go up there day and night, set them up, sit there for 24 hours a day with it on 10-minute intervals. The Bureau of Meteorology then get weather reports directly from the fireground.”
Recently, the brigade secured a lease for a block of land around the corner from their current spot. The new block is on a less busy road, making it easier for the brigade to turn out in emergencies.
With upgraded facilities, the brigade hopes to welcome new members and, like any workplace, add more parking spots.
Mr O’Brien said the upgrade is an “overdue investment that will ensure the Hazelwood North CFA can continue to do what they do best – protect the local community”.
