MOYNE Shire Mayor Daniel Meade has vowed to throw his support behind the Port Fairy SES, which is under threat due to substandard facilities.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The unit needs around $2 million to build new headquarters.
It has been lobbying the state government for the funding for the past eight years.
Cr Meade said it was high time the government answered the call.
"I am backing 100 per cent their push," he said.
"I met with them a couple of weeks ago to reiterate that support.
"We will be advocating with the Emergency Services Minister to support the SES Port Fairy unit's effort to move to their new site."
READ MORE: Port Fairy SES needs funding for new home
He said plans were under way to meet with the minister within the month.
"We hope to assist them in their case on why the funding is justified," he said.
"They do a terrific job in our community and are all volunteers, you only have to look to the October floods in Port Fairy to see that.
"Their facilities are tired - actually that's an understatement - they're probably beyond repair.
"They are in desperate need of new state-of-the-art facilities.
"They need more volunteers and to get a new facility will help them in their recruiting drive."
Facebook has banned Australians sharing news on its platform. Here's how you can find south-west news.
There are about 15 main volunteer members at the Port Fairy SES.
Cr Meade said it was a surprise when the much-needed funding did not appear in the November budget and hoped it would be forthcoming in the May budget.
"It was disappointing and there's the potential they may struggle to attract new volunteers because of the poor condition of their current site," he said.
The old ambulance site on the Princes Highway will be shared by the SES and the Port Fairy CFA.
The building currently on the site will be demolished, with a new CFA station to be built on the front of the block and the SES headquarters at the rear.
VICSES has provided seed funding of $150,000 and is in regular contact with the CFA to work on the design and planning requirements for the potential co-location, a state government spokeswoman said.
The government would not be drawn on whether the funding would be allocated in the May 2021 budget.
"The Andrews Labor Government has invested more than $54 million in VICSES facilities over the past three state budgets and will continue to work closely with local agencies and communities to ensure our hard-working emergency service volunteers and staff have the resources they need to keep the community safe," the spokeswoman said.
"All emergency services proposals for funding are carefully assessed - those who are successful will be announced in line with the 2021 budget."
Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.