Modewarre CFA at Moriac gets $1.5 million for new station

It’s taken five years of lobbying, but Modewarre CFA will finally receive $1.5 million to build a new station after long outgrowing their old building.

THE Modewarre CFA will receive $1.5 million to build a new station after five years of lobbying.

Two acres at Cape Otway Road, Moriac has been secured by the CFA on a peppercorn lease for the station.

The new fire station will ensure the brigade can meet the needs of the growing population in the area, and will include male and female change rooms and meetings and training spaces, South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman said.

He said the new station would also have adequate room to store the brigade’s vehicles.

The brigade has outgrown its current station at Moriac, built in the 1980s, that requires members to get changed among diesel fumes from trucks parked less than a metre away.

The station also does not have adequate space to fit all the brigade vehicles.

Modewarre CFA captain Michael Meesen said the new station would allow the brigade to get a new tanker.

“It will enable us to get a new CFA tanker. Our current tanker is 28 years old,” Mr Meesen said.

Modewarre fire brigade members captain Michael Meesen, Ian Clarke, Lieutenant Ash McPhee. Picture: Peter Ristevski

He said the new station, due to be delivered in 2021/22, would enable the brigade to get state-of-the-art equipment and encourage more people to volunteer.

“We are ecstatic we’ve got money for the new station because it’s been a long time coming.”

The Modewarre CFA serves suburbs including Moriac, Winchelsea, Paraparap, Freshwater Creek and Barrabool. Crews have also assisting firefighting in New South Wales and Gippsland in the past year.

Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said the bridge would also get $114,000 to build a shed on the land for the new station before the station was built.

“The $114,000 funding for the installation of a shed will accommodate two tankers and provide storage for equipment on the new site while the new station is built,” Ms Neville said.

“The shed will be incorporated into the site design for the new fire station. Until construction of the shed is completed, options are being considered for potential improvements to the current arrangements.”

Mr Meesen said one of the brigade’s tankers was stored in a member’s shed, about 200m from the station, because it doesn’t fit inside.

Ms Neville said: “As part of our funding for 16 new CFA stations announced last week, Modewarre will receive $1.5 million for a brand new station, which will replace the current building – a site has already been secured and the design and tender process will begin as soon as possible.”

Since 2015 Modewarre CFA has received $479,964 in grants to build a shed, purchase a tanker and fund driver training, the government said.

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Originally published as Modewarre CFA at Moriac gets $1.5 million for new station