Eight new regional NSW Rural Fire Service maintenance hubs will be created across the state in the next two years.
The NSW Government will spend $29 million on the hubs as it upgrades the service’s 6000-strong firefighting fleet amid a wider $470m upgrade of the service.
Government also recently introduced a bill to change the Rural Fires Act 1997 to state parliament to shaft the ‘red fleet’ from council ownership to the RFS from July 1, 2027.
Government says another $106 million will be spent over four years for critical maintenance and safety upgrades statewide.
Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib says the new spending on the eight hubs “isn’t just an investment in trucks”.
“We’re building the maintenance network behind them while creating regional jobs and making sure our RFS fleet is reliable and ready to respond,” he says.
“We’re making sure our firefighters have the vehicles and facilities they need to do their job when communities count on them the most.”
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EIGHT HUBS PART OF NSW RFS CHANGES
Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig explains that local councils own vehicles which are operated and managed by the NSW RFS.
“This reform addresses that longstanding mismatch by aligning ownership with operational responsibility,” he says.
“Councils have an important role in bushfire prevention, hazard reduction and emergency management, and that partnership will continue.”
He says the transition of the red fleet ownership will be managed over 12 months.
“The government’s $470m investment over the next decade will support that transition and help deliver a safer, more reliable RFS fleet for communities across NSW.”
RFS Commissioner Trent Curtin says the decision is “a landmark and momentous reform for the RFS and one of the most significant investments in our operational capability in recent years”.
“Our firefighters rely on these vehicles every day in some of the most demanding and unpredictable conditions. It is essential we equip them with a fleet that is safe, reliable and fit for purpose.”
