Construction is officially underway on a new fire station for Clyde Fire Brigade, marking a major milestone for the local community.
CFA Assistant Chief Fire Officer District 8 Sean Kerr joined eager brigade members on-site for a ceremonial sod turn on Wednesday (8 April), commemorating the start of the project.
The new station is being developed on 8 Ballarto Road, Clyde and will replace the existing station currently situated at 17 Railway Road, Clyde.
Clyde Fire Brigade Captain Stuart Bluck who has been serving with the brigade for 15 years, said the upgraded station will better support the brigade's operations for years to come.
"The new station will allow the Clyde Fire Brigade to continue providing dedicated service to the local area well into the future," Stuart said.
"It's a very exciting moment for our brigade and we are all keen to start turning out of it once it's all complete.
"Clyde is growing, and we have had a significant number of new members join the brigade in recent years, so we're really pleased to have a space to grow the brigade further.
"We will be going from the original station built in the 1940's to a nice new modern station that will serve us well."
The new fit-for-purpose station will include a motor room with three drive through bays, storage space, operation areas and a multipurpose room.
The design incorporates private change facilities for volunteers, both men and women, and accessible unisex ablutions to align with contemporary building amenity legislation.
CFA Assistant Chief Fire Officer District 8 Sean Kerr said the new design reflects CFA's commitment to volunteer safety, inclusivity and sustainability.
"The station has been designed with sustainability in mind, with a solar panel system, planning in place for future installation of an electrical vehicle charging station, rainwater recycling, and water sensitive designs within the landscaping," Sean said.
"It's also positive to see the inclusion of separate change room spaces for men and women and accessible unisex amenities for our volunteers."
Clyde Fire Brigade currently has 88 members, including 16 women and 38 operational firefighters.
Brigade members have attended numerous significant incidents and campaign fires including the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, 2019-20 summer bushfires and more recently the 2026 Walwa Complex Fires.
Construction of the new station is expected to be complete in late 2026.
