New details on Gympie fireys’ move to Monkland Bruce Hwy site

New details on when Gympie’s firefighters will be moving home to new $7.5 million digs have been revealed, along with reasons behind the shift several kilometres south.

New details on when Gympie’s firefighters will be moving home to new $7.5 million digs have been revealed, along with reasons behind the shift several kilometres south.

Work on Gympie’s brand new $7.5 million fire station is expected to begin within 18 months, with the firefighters’ move from the historic hilltop site driven by an inability to refurbish it.
The new station at Monkland on the Bruce Hwy has been in the works for a decade, with the state government buying the block in 2014.

The land was formerly the home of the Golden Gate Motel, which has since been demolished.

The government paid $1.1 million for the block, CoreLogic’s RP data records show.

The new station’s opening would also bring an end to an era of the region’s fireys rushing from their historic home atop Caledonian Hill.

It turns out that history was one of the key factors in QFES moving their operations about 4km south.

“The new station will be a direct replacement for the existing location on Bligh St, which is no longer fit for purpose due to its age, condition and design,” the spokeswoman said.

The heritage listing of Gympie’s Bligh St fire station limited its ability to be refurbished, a QFES spokeswoman said. The new Monkland site will serve as a replacement for the facility, and operations will no longer be housed there once QFES has moved its resources to the new building. Photo Greg Miller / The Gympie Times

“The existing station is also heritage listed, severely limiting the options for refurbishment.”

It has been confirmed operations would no longer run from the Bligh St station once services were moved.

The new station’s look remains a mystery despite the planning and concept stage being “well advanced”.

Construction is expected to begin in the 2024-25 financial year, at least two years later than had previously been planned.

Moving home would not impact services, she said, as the station would “continue to provide 24-seven coverage and will have the same staffing and resourcing as the existing location”.

“As with the current location, there will be 23 permanent firefighters, 14 part-time operational staff, five vehicles and other specialist equipment.”

Concerns about services being isolated or cut off during floods – when the Bruce Hwy itself could be inundated – were allayed.

“Gympie is generally cut off into three isolated areas during serious flooding and QFES is fully prepared to respond to incidents in all three of those areas if necessary,” she said.

“Crews and appliances are strategically placed in different parts of the community when these incidents occur to ensure all areas are covered, and the position of the new station does not adversely affect this plan.”