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Emergency Services Speeches | February 08, 2017

Warracknabeal emergency services complex

Victorian Parliament - 8 February 2017 - Ms Kealy - In rural areas there is considerable overlap of volunteers that give their time to support our emergency services. I thank all volunteers and emergency service workers for their commitment to protect our community and keep our people and property safe. A number of residents and organisations in the Warracknabeal region have raised with me the opportunity to establish an emergency services complex. Warracknabeal recently received funding for a new police station, and there is an immediate need for works to add the ambulance station extension of the State Emergency Services (SES) building. As these works must be undertaken in the short term it is logical that consideration be given to co‑locate these emergency services into a single, purpose‑built emergency services complex now, prior to undertaking works on any single emergency services building.

There are highly successful examples of combined emergency services facilities, such as the fantastic Country Fire Authority–SES complex in Edenhope, funded by the Nationals and Liberals when in government. An emergency service complex is supported by the Yarriambiack council’s municipal emergency management planning committee, as this type of facility would achieve the best outcome to support our emergency service volunteers and staff in Warracknabeal. I urge the Minister for Emergency Services to take this unique opportunity to ensure that Warracknabeal has the emergency services complex it needs to best support our emergency service volunteers and staff and to provide sufficient funding to make this project a reality.