Page 2300 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 5 June 2013
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This project has been allocated $17.950 million over four years for the construction of a new fire and rescue station, to be located at the south-east roundabout intersection of Tharwa Drive south and Tharwa Drive east, at the intersection with Drakeford Drive, on the border between the suburbs of Calwell and Conder.
The site on the border of Calwell and Conder was chosen based on the current and future needs for our urban fire service for the south Tuggeranong area. The south Tuggeranong area has been identified as an area that has a need for improved fire response coverage, and the location of the station at this point will greatly improve the level of fire cover available, particularly to people who live in the Lanyon valley.
This will mean, when completed, that the existing fire station based at Greenway will close, with the current fire crews relocating to the Calwell-Conder site. It is proposed that the Greenway fire facility will then be converted to become a new ambulance station for the Tuggeranong area.
This is the second new emergency services station to be built as part of the government’s ESA station upgrade and relocation strategy, which I released in 2011. Construction of the new south Tuggeranong fire station is planned to commence in the final quarter of this year and is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Gentleman.
MR GENTLEMAN: Minister, how will building this fire station contribute to safety for Canberrans in the Tuggeranong community?
MR CORBELL: I am sure that residents in the south Tuggeranong area will welcome the development of this new fire station to service their local community. During the public consultation process for the territory plan process which was completed earlier this year, which rezoned the land for a fire station purpose at Conder, and also at Aranda, the station will provide better response times for residents, particularly in the Tuggeranong valley.
Currently, fire crews have to respond to an incident in the Lanyon valley from either Calwell or Greenway, and this has hampered the capacity to meet their response times. The provision of a fire station at the Calwell-Conder location will assist dramatically in improving response times for fire calls from residents, particularly in parts of the south Tuggeranong area such as the Lanyon valley but indeed right across Tuggeranong as a whole.
The strategy is about improving community safety as the city expands and focusing on the protection and preservation of life, property and the environment. Implementation of the strategy provides major benefits to the ACT, strategically locating ambulance and fire stations to better serve the needs and expectations of our community. I am proud that the Labor government is funding this very important piece of infrastructure for the Tuggeranong community.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Ms Porter.
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