Media Release

Kilsyth MP David Hodgett today slammed the Brumby Government for its handling of the Croydon Fire Station relocation.

Mr Hodgett also revealed that a safety report has recommended only 2 of the 3 truck bays be operational, meaning the new facility will be the same size as the existing station.

Mr Hodgett called on Minister for Police and Emergency Services Bob Cameron to stop avoiding responsibility and step in to settle the dispute. “There seems to be a simple solution,” Mr Hodgett said. “Build traffic lights at the corner of Alfrick Rd and Mt Dandenong Rd which can be activated in case of an emergency, and then the traffic can be stopped before it reaches the intersection.”

The safety issues compounded when a fire truck was nearly sideswiped by a passing motorist during a recent safety assessment at the site.

“The irony now is the safety report has stated that the line of sight from truck bay 1 stands at 32 metres. This falls short of the recommended 33 metres and the report has subsequently recommended that the bay remain unused. This means that after $3.2 million in taxpayers money was spent on this new station, including delays for soil decontamination, then further costs and delays because the wrong surface was laid in the driveway, the station will now have the same number of truck bays, effectively wasting all this money and time,” Mr Hodgett said.

Mr Hodgett stated that the project had been mismanaged and bungled by the Brumby Government from the start, but that this could not be undone. “The key now is to focus on resolving the safety issue and getting the hard working Croydon Fire Fighters into their new station as quickly as possible and with minimal further delays.”