Tea Gardens Rural Fire Brigade station is now officially open.
Minister for Emergency Services, Tony Kelly, declared the new $135,000 station open last week.
A spokesman for the brigade said the shed, located in the Tea Gardens Industrial Estate, was completed over four years ago and the brigade has been pushing to have it officially opened since then.
The combined brigades of Pindimar/Tea Gardens have some 40 volunteers, of which 20 are active fire fighters.
“The crews have been working out of the shed for four years now and before that, the fire truck was just parked across the street in the council yard.”
Joined by Labor candidate for Port Stephens and Tea Gardens ambulance officer, Jim Arneman, Mr Kelly handed over state government funding of $7,000 to the local brigade to help pay for landscaping work.
The brigade spokesman said the money would be put to good use, as the crew have been short on funds to finish the station’s backyard.
“We are in desperate need of wash bays and landscaping, and we also need to erect a pole for drying hoses and lay turf for training,” he said.
Mr Kelly thanked the local RFS volunteers for the invaluable service they provide the community in and around Tea Gardens.
“Tea Gardens is a particularly active station, the volunteers do a fantastic job in difficult circumstances and they deserve our support,” he said.
There are 70,000 volunteers working in emergency services, and the time that these volunteers give up for training and working adds up to $2.3 billion per year.
“That’s what the community volunteers are giving to NSW so we love giving something back to them,” Mr Kelly said.
The completion of this new $135,000 two-bay station will provide the brigade with full station facilities in one of its key service areas.
“This investment builds on the Iemma Government commitment to ensure that our Rural Fire Service is the best equipped and best trained in the world,” Mr Kelly said.
Funds for the new station were raised in part by the brigade, with additional funding coming from Great Lakes Council.
Mayor John Chadban attended the opening of the station to show his support to the volunteers of the RFS.
“This station is an important aspect of fire fighting in our shire. It is a vital cog in the protection of people and their property.
“I am pleased it has been funded, as our volunteers need the very best that can be offered to them,” Clr Chadban said.
The Pindimar/Tea Gardens Brigade provides coverage to the local community and also supports the NSW Fire Brigades, attending accidents and incidents along the Pacific Highway.
This new station will give the brigade room to expand as more people continue to move into the Great Lakes area.
Mr Kelly said this year the State Government has provided a record $168.1 million to the Rural Fire Service - an increase of $27.9 million (20 per cent) on last year and $117.4 million (or 231.5 per cent) since 1994/95. It includes:
* $34.1 million for more than 260 new and high quality refurbished bushfire tankers
* $51.7 million in brigades equipment, maintenance and operating costs and
* $10 million to build and upgrade brigade stations and fire control centres.
“A further $2.7 million will also be provided under the joint State-Commonwealth Bushfire Mitigation Program for fire trail construction, maintenance and signage,” Mr Kelly said.
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