Calls for new fire station at Tumut with current deemed 'outdated'

Snowy Valleys Mayor James Hayes said he intended to speak with local state politicians on the issue, with hopes of seeing an upgrade sooner rather than later.

"At the moment in Tumut, there is a very old station in the main street, it's an anachronistic building," he said.

"It may have been fine if the fire trucks were towed by horses, but we're in the 21^st Century and need something a little more up with the times."

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The suggestion was to move a new station to where the ambulance station is, which was also recently funded to be relocated to the new hospital site.

Cr Hayes said he hoped to speak with Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott, expressing confidence his idea would be considered.

"[Mr Elliott] is a pretty fair-minded and pragmatic man, and I'm sure he will listen to us," he said.

While Cr Hayes concerns were acknowledged, Mr Elliott said it would be a matter of assessing the need operationally.

"We do have a record budget for Fire and Rescue NSW at the moment, so there has been a big focus on making sure the equipment is brought up to date," he said.

"The things is though, fire stations don't put out fires, fire engines put out fires, so that is the main priority."

Mr Elliott added that he would "do some research" to assess the operational requirements and "go from there".

"Unfortunately, I'd like a fire station or truck at the end of every street if I could, but we do have to prioritise them," he said.

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