Funding for a new fire station for Winnindoo CFA has been included in the 2025-26 State Budget – the problem is that it was already promised in the 2020-21 state budget.
The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien said it beggars belief that five years on from announcing a funding commitment, the Allan Labor Government repeated the funding in the latest budget – and the station is still not built.
“The Winnindoo community celebrated in 2020 when, after several years of advocating and pleading, it received the news that it would be receiving a new fire station. It’s still waiting,” Mr O’Brien said.
“The current station does not even have bathroom facilities and it is a poor reflection on the Allan Labor Government that it is continuing to muck these invaluable volunteers around.
“This is a station that services not just Winnindoo but is routinely called out to assist with fires in several other areas such as Cowwarr, Flynn, Toongabbie, Heyfield, Seaton and Glenmaggie.
“Land for the new station was generously donated by a Winnindoo local and previous brigade captain, the late John Hooper many years ago and it is past time for this project to get underway.”
Mr O’Brien said it was worrying to see the Allan Labor Government now try and claim this as new spending on local emergency services, particularly on the back of its flawed new emergency services tax.
“It’s extraordinary that our fire services are now costing us significantly more and yet in the country we’re getting less service as far as spending on the CFA goes.
“Yarram CFA was also promised a new station with funding in the 2023-24 state budget and yet again the government has announced additional funding for Yarram in this budget – but the station hasn’t started!
“Meanwhile there is still no funding committed for much-needed new fire stations at Mirboo North and Foster.”
Mr O’Brien said it was clear Labor cannot manage money and it is local CFA volunteers and the communities they service that are paying the price.