The state government finally reached an agreement with Springfield’s developers in July for a suitable plot of land for construction of the region’s urgently needed new fire and rescue station.
It will sit beside the existing ambulance station on Gateway Drive, just off Augusta Parkway – the major thoroughfare connecting the Centenary Highway intersection at Springfield Central with Redbank Plains Road.
Jordan MP Charis Mullen said the project is the first of three new stations that will service the rapidly growing Greater Springfield region.
“The new fully operational 24/7 fire station will boost firefighter numbers and emergency firefighting response times,” Ms Mullen said.
“I’ve been working closely with the residents of Greater Springfield on the need for additional firefighting capability, and I’m pleased that the Palaszczuk Labor Government is delivering,” Ms Mullen said.
The finalised location essentially bisects the long distance between the current Ripley Valley and Camira fire stations, and affords better coverage not only to the southern span of Greater Springfield but also the north-western suburbs of Augustine Heights, Brookwater, and Bellbird Park.
“Locals will be protected for everything from house fires, to industrial and bush fires as well as having access to the world’s best emergency rescue personnel.
The decision was made in consultation with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES), ending years of negotiations with the Springfield City Group (SCG).
Under advisement from the QFES, the state government had previously rejected a site proposal by the SCG, which contributed to the delay, according to a report in The Queensland Times in May of last year.
In making sufficient and appropriate parcels of land available for government service delivery, SCG is obligated to work closely with state government agencies and parliamentary representatives.
A spokesperson for the developer said, “Under the Springfield Social Infrastructure Agreement between SCG and the state government, SCG provides land free to the state government to accommodate essential state government services for the community as well as paying a contribution from every lot of land sold towards the cost of then constructing the facilities on the land.”
A QFES spokesperson said, “Camira and Ripley fire and rescue stations currently provide a comprehensive response to the Springfield area within acceptable time-frames, [however] a dedicated fire and rescue station in the Springfield area will further enhance the service these stations already provide.”
QFES is a multi-hazard emergency response organisation that both prevents and prepares for disasters. It is commissioned by the Queensland Government and coordinates the state’s Fire and Rescue Service (FRS), Rural Fire Service (RFS), and State Emergency Service (SES).
