Newborough Fire Brigade has officially been handed the keys to their new fire station today, delivering a major upgrade for the brigade.
The new station replaces the brigade's previous facility with a modern building, built to meet the demands of a growing population and an increasingly busy call-out area.
The new state-of-the-art site features a large, three bay motor room which improves vehicle capacity and access. It also has an additional three bay shed, a hose drying tower, a dedicated breathing apparatus maintenance room, and a PPE storage and drying room.
There is a large onsite workshop, an expansive rear yard, and electronically controlled gates and fencing.
Newborough 1st Lieutenant Andrew Pheonix said it was a huge step forward for the brigade.
"It means a lot to our members. We have been looking forward to this for many years, so finally moving into a purpose-built station with the space and facilities we need is incredibly exciting," Andrew said.
"The new station gives us better training and meeting spaces, and room to grow. It will make a huge difference to how we operate and help us connect with and hopefully help attract new members from the community to join our brigade.
"We're excited to see it become a place the whole Newborough community can be proud of."
The brigade's historic bell has also been fully restored and now takes pride of place at the front of the new station, preserving a piece of Newborough's firefighting history at the site.
Newborough Fire Brigade has 30 members, 24 of whom are operational, and has responded to an average of 121 incidents a year over the past three years.
First registered as a brigade in 1955, its members have a proud history of service, including playing a fireground role during the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires, for which three members received the National Emergency Medal, as well as responding to the Hazelwood Mine Fire and the February 2009 Black Saturday fires.
Deputy Chief Officer for South East Region Trevor Owen said the new station reflects CFA's ongoing commitment to the Newborough community which will support them and our volunteers well into the future.
"It's great to see this project come to fruition and I have no doubt this facility will further boost Newborough brigade's ability to protect lives and property."
