Geelong firefighters fight to stop land sale they warn puts lives at risk

Geelong firefighters have petitioned the Victorian government to stop development of crucial land behind their station, warning they face safety risks and delayed emergency responses.

CFA Geelong West firefighters are petitioning against the selling of land behind their station which would prevent expansion of the station and access. Picture: Mark Wilson

A group of Geelong firefighters say they could lose vital access which would put the community at a safety risk if an acquisition of land behind their station goes ahead.

Members of the Geelong West County Fire Authority (CFA) have petitioned the Victorian government to prevent the development of land behind their station on McCurdy Rd in Herne Hill.

The group is asking the government to retain the land for “emergency services and community safety purposes,” and if retention is not immediately possible, “pause any proposed rezoning, disposal or development until a transparent assessment of emergency management impacts is completed in consultation with relevant stakeholders”.

Geelong West volunteer Brendan Robertson said the CFA was told the government would purchase the land for them once it sorted out who owned it.

According to the original petition letter addressed to senior Liberal Party members including Sam Groth, Brad Battin and Richard Riordan, the land, which is owned by VicTrack, has been deemed surplus by the state government, and thus could be developed for residential property, preventing access for the fire station permanently.

The firies say they need the extra acces to get to the fires they attend. Picture: Mark Wilson

“Every new station they build now they make them drive through, so you’re not reversing in for safety reasons,” Mr Robertson said.

“So we’ve been waiting and waiting for the land to become available, but we’re not getting it.”

A sign promoting the development that the CFA is objecting to. Picture: Mark Wilson

Another safety concern for the crews at Geelong West is their ability to respond quickly to fires nearly should the land be developed — time Mr Robertson said could be the difference between “life and death”.

“If we can at least keep the land from being sold, that gives us a bit more time to work out how we can acquire it,” he said.

“It gives us a better response time to the Herne Hill area, if there’s a fire behind us we’d have to lose precious minutes.”

Crews have been using the vacant land unofficially since the Geelong West brigade since it moved to the location in 2008.

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Originally published as Geelong firefighters fight to stop land sale they warn puts lives at risk