CFA volunteers in Winnindoo facing another summer in tin shed

CFA volunteers in one of the state’s most fire prone areas are facing another summer operating from a 40-year-old tin shed with a porta-potty out the back.

A small town in one of the state’s most fire prone areas could be forced to endure another summer with its CFA volunteers operating from a tin shed with a porta-potty out the back.

The Winnindoo community, nestled between Rosedale and Heyfield in Gippsland, was promised a new CFA station nearly four years ago.

But more than 1200 days on the town is still without answers as to when their prized new facility will actually be built.

The CFA has blamed Covid restrictions, supply issues and cost blowouts for delaying the project.

It means the brigade’s 12 active volunteers will continue to work out of a nearly 40-year-old tin shed that doesn’t have toilets, change rooms or a kitchen.

“It is getting harder and harder to get volunteers and if you are trying to convince people to become a member, they look at the shed and say ‘no’,” said Winnindoo Fire Brigade captain Ton Van Dijk.

“It is embarrassing.”

Lieutenant Brad Missen, secretary Hughie Stag and captain Ton Van Dijk inside the Winnindoo Fire Brigade station. Picture: Ian Currie

Winnindoo locals say a fire station would create a meeting place that provided a sense of community.

“We don’t have a township. We’re not a town that has a pub or a school. We’re a spread out community, so the fire shed is the only bit of infrastructure that we have,” Mr Van Dijk explained.

“And our shed is not somewhere you go to on a Sunday afternoon to spend time.”

Funding for a replacement station was announced in October 2020. At the time, the government said the “critical funding” would “to ensure the station in Winnindoo is ready for current and future fire seasons”.

It remains unclear exactly when the facility will be built, with volunteers told it may not be up and running until late 2025.

Nationals Gippsland South MP Danny O’Brien called on the Allan government to fast-track the long-delayed project.

Mr Van Dijk with MP Danny O’Brien in front of the humble tin shed. Picture: Ian Currie

“It is just unfathomable that there is still no construction on the site,” he said.

“How is it possible that it takes nearly five years to build a simple, small fire shed which will be based on a design already in place at dozens of brigades around the state?

“Gippslanders and our CFA volunteers deserve better.

“It is no surprise that we are seeing Labor experience massive budget blowouts on mega projects in the city when it can’t even deliver a simple rural fire station.”

A Victorian government spokeswoman said it continues to work with the CFA to develop the Winnindoo Fire Station.

“The Winnindoo community is well-served in case of emergency by its own brigade and surrounding brigades in Rosedale and Heyfield,” she said.

A CFA spokeswoman said designs for the station are “progressing” but the project was “severely impacted” by Covid restrictions, supply issues and cost blowouts.

“Winnindoo Fire Station was scheduled for completion in Phase 2 of the program, with an anticipated completion time frame of late 2024. These time frames are reviewed for market impacts on a regular basis,” she said.