A WAGGA councillor demands answers on relocating a proposed emergency services super site, which has had first dibs on prime Boorooma land for four years.
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Last year, Cr Kerry Pascoe pushed to reverse a decision where the council pledged in-principle support to set aside nine hectares of land near the corner of Olympic Highway and Coolamon Road.
The original decision came in response to an idea to build an emergency services precinct in the booming northern suburbs however, the site has stayed untouched since the agreement was made in June 2016.
Since Cr Pascoe floated his motion in September last year, he said the "wheels have not moved very fast" and was still waiting for answers on a new location.
"It is too valuable to be used for that type of project, especially when the council is finding it hard to get revenue these days to satisfy our budgets," he said.
It is of his opinion that this proposed project could be more suited for the suburb of Bomen, which he said is positioned away from residential housing, yet still central enough to service both sides of the river.
He added that existing residents would have purchased new homes without knowledge that an emergency services centre could be built next door in the future.
In other news:
Stewart Alexander, the commander of the Fire and Rescue zone that covers Wagga, said there are "no definite plans" about a fire station in the northern suburbs, but they were always "proactively" searching for ways to improve response times.
"Fire stations are one way, but a building is certainly one aspect. It needs staff and the appliances too. We are looking at various models of response whether that be a new station or more staffing or fire engines," he said.
Recent data showed that firefighters are taking 21 seconds longer to arrive at the scene of an emergency in Wagga, which has sparked calls for a solution with the problem only exacerbated by the city's growing population.
"We always remain aware of what our responsibilities are and what is needed for the future," he said.
"We are ... constantly analysing the larger centres like Wagga and Albury (looking at) what the growth is and how we can best serve, and continue to serve, those areas."