The NSW RFS Boeing 737 air tanker, the Marie Bashir, is currently on secondment fighting fires in North America. Photo: stock
NSW is to spend almost $100 million on firefighting capital works, including new trucks, under the 2025-26 state budget.
Included in the budget’s $98.7m allocation for emergency services capital works will be the first instalment of $17m on more than 15 new fire trucks and other vehicles.
The government says over the next 24 months, Fire and Rescue NSW will roll out new fire trucks, aerial ladder trucks and specialist vehicles.
A new generation of Australian designed and built fire trucks have already rolled out at Burwood, Newtown, Alexandria and Darlinghurst fire stations.
The first truck, at Burwood FS (Fire Station), is worth more than $900,000 and comes with updated features.
Alexandria FS, Australia’s busiest hazardous materials station, also received a new fire truck to support hazmat and chemical incident responses.
FIRE STATIONS
The government says new fire stations are being built at Cessnock, Dungog and Charlestown with refurbishments for the Cooma and Cootamundra stations.
Design work is under way for new stations at Wentworthville, Goonellabah, Broken Hill, Lithgow and Byron Bay, and for upgrades at Moss Vale FS.
The new stations will have dedicated facilities for men and women firefighters, and ‘clean’ and ‘dirty’ zones to help prevent the transfer of contaminants from fire scenes.
NATURAL DISASTERS
The NSW Rural Fire Service’s aerial wing is to get another $34.4m over four years to secure aircraft and helicopters even as fire seasons extend around the world and demand for them grows.
(The service’s Boeing 737 Large Air Tanker, the Marie Bashir, is currently on deployment in California.)
The phone-based emergency alert system will also get a funding boost of $6.4m in the new budget, the government says.
OFFICIAL COMMENTS
NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib says the value of all this spending has already been demonstrated, most recently during the mid-north coast floods.
“Whether we are responding to bush fires or house fires, floods or road crash rescues, this investment is vital to support our emergency service workers and volunteers on the frontline,” he says.
“This year’s multi-million dollar commitment to modern firefighting fleet, stations, equipment and communications will help protect communities across Sydney and regional areas for years to come.”
Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell says his firefighters will be “better equipped to do their jobs” with the new vehicles.
“We will continue to target our investment wisely and modernise our fleet to better serve NSW communities.”
Other emergency services spending will be revealed when the 2025-26 budget is released on June 24, the government says.
