Killara: Koola Park to become new Rural Fire Station hub in $1.2m development

Firefighters say a new state of the art fire station planned next to an upper north shore school would slash response times in one of the city’s most at-risk regions for bushfires.

An abandoned scout hall could be turned into a new line of defence against bushfires as part development plans for a new state-of-the-art firefighting station on Sydney’s north shore.

The NSW Rural Fire Service has outlined plans to open a new brigade facility at Koola Park in Killara to respond to emergency situations ranging from fires to floods and search and rescue operations.

The new hub, to be known as the East Killara Rural Fire Brigade Station, would have capacity for three trucks and boost response times to emergencies in the southern parts of Ku-ring-gai.

The station will become home to the Killara RFS brigade.

Once completed, it would become home to the Killara Rural Fire Brigade which has 50 member and volunteer firefighters and is currently based a 10km drive north in Wahroonga.

Killara brigade president Stuart Clark said the location of the new station would make a crucial difference in critical and lifesaving emergencies.

“There are only two brigades in Ku-ring-gai and the southern part of the region has been a bit of black hole so having the station there will make a huge difference,” he said.

The station will be built on the former Killara Scouts hall site.

“At the moment it takes a crew about 15 to 20 minutes to get from Wahroonga to the Killara region – in the recent flooding we were responding to rescues and even with lights and sirens on, the delay was incredible.

“Had we been at Killara we would have been there in a couple of minutes.”

Mr Clark said the new station would also bolster emergency services in a region classified as one of the state’s most at-risk of bushfires.

The station will have road access on Koola Ave.

“The interface between Hornsby and Chatswood has some of the highest risk bushfire areas in Australia – if we had a major fire burn into the Killara and Lindfield area we’d be facing very significant losses,” he said.

Plans show the $1.2 million development would be designed to the latest firefighting standards and come complete with offices, store rooms, staff facilities, 13 carparks and a new driveway entry and exit for vehicles.

Traffic consultants, who contributed to the development application for the RFS, warned quick access for firefighters onto the surrounding road network was imperative.

A design sketch of the new facility.

Studies also scoped potential traffic impacts from the busy pick up and drop off runs at Killara High School which has more than 1600 students and is located just 40m from the site.

“The risk of an emergency vehicle being restricted by traffic congestion on the surrounding road network is potentially significant,” the report stated.

“This may result in longer response times, which would be critical in life-threatening emergency response situations.

“Therefore, unimpeded access out of the fire station onto Koola Ave and travel along the surrounding road network is of paramount importance.

Plans show measures to reduce potential delays include painting ‘keep clear’ and ‘hatch’ pavement markings at the front of the station’s driveway access.

“Road safety for operational traffic, particularly during peak periods for the adjacent high school and Koola Park, will be managed by strict and controlled emergency response protocols including the use of flashing lights and sirens on emergency vehicles to warn surrounding traffic,” the plans added.

A photo of the brigade responding during Sydney’s recent flood events.

The plans come after the RFS and Ku-ring-gai Council previously considered the East Killara Shopping Centre car park as a potential site for the new station.

The abandoned Killara Scouts hall at Koola Park has since become the preferred location and will be demolished as part of the development. Five trees will also be cleared.

The RFS estimated members and volunteer firefighters at the new station would respond to an average of one to two emergencies per month.

It would also host occasional brigade meetings, training events, social meetings and be used as a base for hazard reduction burns.

Plans for the new station are currently being assessed by Ku-ring-gai Council. If approved, construction is expected to begin in October this year and take about seven months to complete.

Killara brigade members will continue to remain at the Ku-ring-gai Station in Wahroonga until the new development is completed.