Wagga’s emergency services leaders have moved to allay fears the city will suffer from the development of a hub on the city’s outskirts.
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Wagga City Council on Monday night threw its in-principle support behind the concept of a nine-hectare emergency services precinct on the corner of the Olympic Highway and Coolamon Road near the fast-growing suburb of Boorooma.
NSW Fire and Rescue Wagga zone commander Superintendent Garry Tye said its station in Turvey Park would remain to service the city. Assets at the part-time Wagga station, on The Esplanade, would move out to the proposed site.
“The city is over-serviced at the moment (with two stations based in the city),” Supt Tye said.
“This (potential) site will give better fire coverage – the suburbs out there are a huge growth area.
“Regardless of the precinct going ahead, we’d have to move out there in the future.”
NSW State Emergency Service Murrumbidgee Region deputy controller Jon Gregory said the SES had outgrown its headquarters, but said the service would still have an operational unit in the city area.
“We’ve got 30 people in a building designed for only two,” Mr Gregory said.
“The new site is aimed at emergency management (rather than operations).”
NSW Rural Fire Service Zone Manager Superintendent Roger Orr said the announcement meant the services could start to iron out any kinks in the proposal and make progress on an idea hatched two years ago.
“It shows great vision by council – the support we’ve received over the last two years has been fantastic,” Supt Orr said.
“It’s about the long term.”
Member for Wagga Daryl Maguire said it was only early days in the project and residents’ concerns would be taken into account.
“The concerns raised by people are very valid,” Mr Maguire said.
“They are discussions a growing city needs to have from time to time.”
Wagga mayor Rod Kendall said council had worked with local emergency services to come up with the site in northern Wagga, which was proposed in the business plan
“Emergency services identified the site, which will be a shared headquarters and training facility. We had to ask questions like ‘why can’t they expand on existing sites?’,” Mr Kendall said.
“It would be unwise to not trust advice from the experts.”
