A CHALLENGE has been thrown out to the state government to ensure the wish list of the Port Fairy emergency services is met.
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The SES and CFA want to move to a new home — a relocation at the ambulance station on the Princes Highway their preferred option.
Moyne Health Services is keen to help make this happen as it wants the ambulance service to move to its Port Fairy campus.
This move would allow room for the CFA and SES to set up together at the highway site.
While the CFA and SES hierarchy have indicated they need a bigger home and are keen to look at the ambulance site, Ambulance Victoria has rejected the idea saying it has no plans to move.
In Parliament last week member for South-West Coast Denis Napthine called for the establishment of a Port Fairy emergency services accommodation taskforce.
He said this taskforce should be headed by Labor member for Western Victoria Gayle Tierney with its role to bring together all the relevant departments to achieve the best outcome for the Port Fairy community.
“This is an important project for Port Fairy and the emergency services, I call on Premier Andrews to establish a taskforce to implement this plan across a number of departments, including those of health and emergency services, to provide better accommodation for the CFA, the SES and Ambulance Victoria,” Dr Napthine said.
“For some years it has been clear that the CFA station in Port Fairy is far too small to meet the needs of the growing community, local volunteers, trucks and equipment,” Dr Napthine said.
“Funding was earmarked by the CFA under the Coalition government to provide for larger and more appropriate accommodation once the community reached an agreement about where the new station would be.
“Similarly the current site of the Port Fairy SES is not appropriate for current equipment and volunteers, indeed it is no longer considered a safe workplace.
“Moreover, the current ambulance station is over 20 years old and there would be advantages in a new facility co-located at the site of the redevelopment of Moyne Health Services,” Dr Napthine said.
“After extensive community consultation, consensus was recently reached by the community regarding a way forward, the CFA and the SES should be relocated to the site of the current ambulance station on the Princes Highway and the ambulance station should move to the site of Moyne Health Services.
“This proposal has the support of the CFA, the SES, local ambulance services, Moyne Health Services, Moyne Shire Council and the Port Fairy Community.”
Ms Tierney’s office was contacted but did not reply before deadline.