Funding for the replacement of the Bairnsdale Fire Station has been confirmed.

Captain of the Bairnsdale Fire Brigade, Aaron Lee, has welcomed the news.

“I’m indebted to the work of the CFA’s District 11 staff to get the relocation to this stage and in particular the assistance we have received from Assistant Chief Officer Trevor Owen who has been a terrific supporter of this project,” Mr Lee said.

Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, who made the announcement of funding, said he asked the Minister why the new Bairnsdale fire station had not been funded when it was the top priority in the entire south east region in 2017, while lesser priorities had been funded in that time.

“To my delight the Minister advised in her response, some weeks after the question was asked, that funding has now been allocated, which came as good news to brigade members who were unaware,” Mr Bull said.

“Having lobbied hard for this outcome on behalf of our local CFA brigade members, this is a pleasing outcome and I thank them for their advocacy.

“It really is terrific news for Bairnsdale Fire Brigade members who have been squeezed for space for some time in the existing 92year-old fire station. It is clearly not fit for purpose and has some serious safety issues with the Main Street traffic.

“The relocation has been discussed for some years now, we made a pre-election commitment to it so it’s good to get the go-ahead.

“What I will be pursuing when Parliament resumes is a specific time frame for when the station will be delivered to this community.”

Early last year land for the new Bairnsdale Fire Brigade station was secured at the rear of the Department of Environment, Land Water and Planning (DEWLLP) offices in Main Street.

“Our Bairnsdale CFA members have been the custodians for more than 90 years of the great Australian tradition of volunteer firefighting at the current venue, but the move will be an exciting time in the brigade’s history,” Mr Bull said.

“A new station will help to keep that tradition alive with modern facilities that are safe and provide for the needs of today’s firefighting operations.”

PICTURED: Gippsland East MP, Tim Bull, and Bairnsdale Fire Brigade captain, Aaron Lee, examine plans for Bairnsdale’s new fire station.