June 22, 2019
Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford has put the spotlight on the latest Budget allocations for new fire stations in Yarraman and Kilkivan but has given no date as to when the projects will be completed.
In a media release on Saturday, Mr Crawford said the 2019-2020 Budget would deliver funding to “complete the replacement” of the QFES complex at Kilkivan.
“The new Kilkivan complex will have truck bays and be a base for SES, RFS and FRS to work from as they get on with the important job of keeping people safe,” he said.
A total of $1.6 million was allocated to the Kilkivan Fire Station in the recent Budget, out of a $1.8 million total cost to replace the facility.
This follows allocations of $900,000 in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 Budgets, with the total cost in both years projected to be $1.8 million.
Mr Crawford said the 2019-20 Budget also had “the final $1.35 million investment” to complete the replacement auxiliary fire station at Yarraman, bringing the project’s total value to $1.5 million.
This follows an allocation of $800,000 set aside in the 2018-19 Budget for the project.
“We’ve got a site for this project and the design is under way,” Mr Crawford said.
“This station will help the community prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from the impact of fire and emergency events.”
Mr Crawford’s statement follows criticism from Opposition Leader and Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington on Budget night.
She said the Treasurer Jackie Trad had simply re-announced several infrastructure projects.
“This is the third year in a row Labor have announced the Kilkivan Fire Station,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“It’s very worrying that no works have actually started on the Kilkivan Fire Station. Surely Labor has to come clean and explain what is going on.
“It’s the second year they’ve announced the Yarraman Fire Station, and funding previously announced for the Wooroolin Fire Station has actually disappeared from the Budget papers.”
The 2018-19 State Budget had included an allocation of $800,000 out of a $1.4 million total for a new fire station at Wooroolin.
