NEW Rural Fire Service stations at Wilberforce and Freemans Reach have moved on step closer.
Council has been in negotiations to find suitable spots for the two new stations for a number of years, but issues with Crown Land and Aboriginal Land Rights claims held up the process.
However, as was noted at the Hawkesbury Council meeting on September 26, those issues have mostly been resolved.
The new station at Freemans Reach is proposed to be built adjacent to the tennis courts in Freemans Reach Park. The RFS has set aside $50,000 in its budget for the planning for planning and design work.
Council’s director of infrastructure services Jeff Organ said searched for a site at Freemans Reach since 2007.
He said the current site was chosen in 2013.
Meanwhile, Mr Organ said investigations for a new station at Wilberforce had been going since 2010.
At Wilberforce, the proposed location is the ‘Truck Stop’ on Putty Road.
Mr Organ said Council was awaiting approval from Crown Lands to use the chosen site at Wilberforce.
The Wilberforce RFS currently shares a location with the Hawkesbury Fire Control centre, but the Council business report noted that during fire events, it was hard for vehicles to enter and exit the facility quickly because of crowding.
Mr Organ said no funding had been allocated for the Wilberforce station yet, but Council would apply to the RFS for money when Crown Lands granted approval.
A new station has nearly been finished at Tennyson, while an upgrade is underway on the station at Glossodia.
The Gazette has contacted the RFS for comment.
