The Victorian State Emergency Service’s (VicSES) Footscray unit was one of the big winners out of Tuesday’s state budget, receiving $14 million for the construction of a purpose-built headquarters.
“We’re extremely pleased,” said unit controller Mike Bagnall of the funding, which came as a very pleasant surprise.
“People have lobbied for many years,” said Mr Bagnall of efforts to secure government funding to build the Footscray unit a new home.
“It certainly wasn’t expected, but it was hoped for.”
And according to Mr Bagnall, the funding was also badly needed, with the unit’s current home no longer fit for purpose.
“The Footscray unit has had a temporary unit within the Maribyrnong city council works depot and that’s been the case for about 11 years now,” he said.
“It’s not tenable.
“It’s a very difficult place to work from and we’re very grateful that the Maribyrnong city council were able to accommodate us for so long.”
While the budget provided $14 million for the construction of a new facility in Maidstone, its exact location and when it will be shovel ready, is still unknown, meaning the unit will need to call the council depot home for a few years yet.
“We haven’t been given the exact timeframe but we suspect it will take about two years to complete,” said Mr Bagnall of the new depot which will have a common room, change rooms, a dedicated training area and a five bay vehicle facility.
The Footscray SES unit is the main emergency service provider for much of the inner-west and also Melbourne’s CBD.
Mr Bagnall said the larger facility will allow the unit to expand its operational capacity and attract more members.
“We have about 50 members at the moment and we’ll look to grow that at the new facility to about 70 members.”
As for why the funding has been provided now, Mr Bagnall said Footscray MP Katie Hall had been a tireless advocate for a new facility, as had Jaclyn Symes before she became treasurer.
“She (Ms Symes) campaigned hard for it when she was emergency service’s minister, so now she’s treasurer it probably has helped.”
