A bigger and better fire station is on the cards for Craigieburn, with next week’s state budget set to include $13 million to replace the existing station.
Emergency Services Minister James Merlino announced the new station on Friday, saying it would be built on a new site.
The integrated station will cater for career and volunteer firefighters and will include space for up to five fire trucks and beds for 12 firefighters.
At least eight career firefighters will be based at the station.
“The new station will mean the Craigieburn Fire Brigade will have the bigger, better and more modern base they need to protect their growing community,” Mr Merlino said.
The fire brigade has been part of the Craigieburn community for 73 years, and is currently housed in a station on Craigieburn Road next to the police station.
Yuroke MP Ros Spence said the new facilities would help make sure firefighters can continue to keep Craigieburn safe.
Hume and Whittlesea councils are hoping the budget will also include a funding windfall for congested local roads which have missed out on funding in previous budgets.
Last year, Hume council slammed the government for leaving the community “hanging” after it failed to deliver funding for the duplication of Craigieburn, Mickleham, Sunbury and Somerton roads.
And while the government has already started works to improve Plenty and Yan Yean roads, Whittlesea council is disappointed Bridge Inn, Childs, Epping, Edgars and Donnybrook roads, as well as Craigieburn Road East, have been overlooked.
The councils want the budget to include a northern outer suburban arterial roads package, which they say will reduce travel time, improve road safety and better connect communities.
Whittlesea mayor Kris Pavlidis said roads in both municipalities were not coping with significant residential and industrial growth.
“The fact is that many of the key roads across both municipalities are unable to meet the demands of large and increasing volumes of traffic,” she said. “Improved road infrastructure is desperately needed to keep our cities and state moving.”
Hume mayor Geoff Porter said the council was also hopeful the budget would bring funding for five schools which needed to be built in Hume within the next five years to cope with soaring student numbers.
