Tuesday, 18 March 2025

Country Fire Authority Hazelwood North brigade

Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (00:27): (1516) My adjournment this evening is for the Minister for Emergency Services in the other place, and the action I seek is for the minister to work with the CFA and to fund a new fire station for the Hazelwood North brigade. The Hazelwood North brigade is 96 years old. It has been serving the community – it has been putting out grassfires, house fires and car fires. There is a school at Hazelwood North, and the brigade is in very close proximity to the mine and has been involved in supporting services when there have been incidents at the mine. It transferred some years ago from region 10, in a rural brigade setting, to region 27 in recognition of its workload, its call-outs and its proximity and activity in relation to the coalmines in the Latrobe Valley. For many years the Hazelwood North brigade has been promised a new fire station, but they have been waiting for so long that the land allocated to it may well have to be reallocated if it is not used. It was allocated by the Latrobe City Council, but soon it is to be no longer.

It is not fit for purpose, their current position and their current shed. And it is a shed – it is a single-door roller shed. They tacked the meeting room onto the side of the single-door shed with their own money and their own fundraising. There is no room for volunteers, let alone women to have a spare space and a private space. There is no room for volunteers to park without obstructing access for the fire tanker and the ultralight firefighting appliances. There is no room for proper communications and there is no room for training. They have great numbers, they have a great culture and they would love to have juniors. Wouldn’t we all love to have juniors coming into the fire brigade? But they cannot have open days or training and they cannot have a junior brigade because they have an antiquated fire shed.

In 2028 they will celebrate 100 years of protecting the community, 100 years of serving the community. But unfortunately, this shed looks like it is 100 years old, and indeed it is close to it. When there has been discussion around access – again, safety for those firefighters – it is not safe to alight into their shed. Minister, the action I seek is for you to work with the CFA, allocate some funding and get this lovely brigade a new fire station.