- A significant investment will see a new dedicated Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ) facility constructed at Maryborough.
- A site at Oakhurst has been identified and planning is currently underway.
- The facility will provide a significant boost to RFSQ operations in the region, supporting frontline operations and future growth and development of operational capability.
- It's proposed the site will initially house multiple local RFS brigades, stationing them at a location where they can safely assist the community during severe weather events.
Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ) staff and volunteers are set to benefit from a dedicated facility at Maryborough.
Minister Nikki Boyd today announced a site at Oakhurst had been identified for the exciting project, which marks a significant investment to support frontline RFSQ operations in the region.
The State Government made a commitment to fund the new RFSQ facility in 2022, with the site proposed to station multiple brigades, providing them with a new, centralised station for brigade operations and ensure they are well-positioned to respond to incidents and natural disasters.
In the future, the facility may grow to include a training room, meeting rooms, incident control centre and deployment facilities.
The proposed site is part of the former Maryborough TAFE facility and the Queensland Fire Department (QFD) is currently working with the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training to negotiate an inter-agency transfer that includes relevant Government approval processes.
Once the acquisition has been completed, QFD will then initiate the necessary processes to support the detailed design and construction of the facility.
The facility is one of several significant projects in the Maryborough region, with a new North Coast Region Headquarters and Maryborough Fire and Rescue Station completed in recent years.
As stated by Member for Maryborough Bruce Saunders:
"This is a Queensland first in providing a central facility to support our region's Rural Fire Service Queensland brigades," Mr Saunders.
"We have a number of brigades across our region and this new facility will allow for those brigades to receive the best support during responses to major incidents and natural disasters.
"The old Maryborough TAFE site will have a second life providing a valuable service to the community by supporting our local brigades and their volunteer members."
As stated by Minister for Fire and Disaster Recovery Nikki Boyd:
"We are constantly looking to find ways to boost facilities and infrastructure for the RFSQ to accommodate future growth and demand," Ms Boyd said.
"We want to make sure our volunteers have the facilities and equipment they need to continue the vital work they do in their communities.
"Our volunteer firefighters are such dedicated individuals, and I am thrilled we can offer them a new facility to support frontline operations, future growth and development of operational capability in the region."
As stated by Queensland Fire Department Commissioner Steve Smith:
"This project will provide significant benefit to RFSQ staff and volunteers in the Maryborough region, so this marks an exciting step forward in the planning process," Mr Smith said.
"The facility will be purpose-built to house multiple local RFSQ brigades and ensure they are stationed at a location where crews can safely respond to assist the community, particularly during natural disasters.
"It is exciting to see future projects as important as this one taking shape, particularly now that the RFSQ is its own entity under the QFD.
"We anticipate feasibility studies of the site will be finalised soon which will open the door to commence planning and construction."
