Beaufort CFA Captain Tony Neville and Martha Haylett MP
Construction has begun on the new Beaufort Fire Brigade Station and today CFA members, with local MP Martha Haylett, visited the site to get a sneak peek.
The new station on Racecourse Road will replace the Flynn Street station and will be able to support up to 48 CFA volunteers and three appliances.
Beaufort Fire Brigade currently has 29 volunteers, including 16 operational and 13 non-operational members.
Beaufort Fire Brigade Captain Anthony Neville said the new station will be a huge asset to the brigade and the local community.
"The new station will have new technology and better facilities. It will be an integrated station to suit our members' needs with all our vehicles and equipment in one place," Anthony said.
"We hope it will allow community groups to use the meeting rooms and facilities.
"The old station has historic value, being over 150 years old, but the new station will be a much more accessible focal point for the community along the highway."
The new facility will include essential amenities such as a motor room with three drive-through bays, offices, workshops, operational areas, meeting rooms, change rooms for both male and female volunteers, as well as unisex ambulant facilities. Externally the station will provide a car park, and a six-bay storage shed.
District 16 Assistant Chief Fire Officer Steve Alcock said the new station would support the brigade for years to come.
"It's being built with future sustainability in mind with locally sourced steel. The plans include solar panels, a rainwater recycling system, and the ability to install an electric vehicle charging station," Steve said.
"There will be water-sensitive urban designs in the landscaping that will be able to tolerate the hot Victorian summers.
"The new station will really give Beaufort brigade the opportunity to grow and develop in the future."
Beaufort Fire Brigade has served the community for over 150 years. Volunteers respond to more than 100 call outs every year, attending bushfires, structural fires, motor vehicle accidents and heavy vehicle incidents, as well as supporting emergency response efforts of surrounding brigades.
Construction of the station is estimated to be completed in February 2025.
